Angel Wing (Old Version)
by Naterthegreater
Summary: A new Guild has formed east of Magnolia. One by the name of Angel Wing. Join their members as they work their way up from the bottom. Competing and collaborating with Guilds like Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel and Fairy Tail itself. Meanwhile the threat of a new alliance of Dark Guilds begins to grow. OC submissions closed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

March 5 X784

To the east of Fiore. There is a city located at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast eastern sea. The name of this city is Draycott. Home to some of Fiore's finest ruins. Archaeologist's and tourists come from all over to view the remnants of a once great civilization. Draycott is also home to Fiore's newest magic Guild. One by the name of Angel Wing.

"Master Marius! We have a message!"

Marius opened one eye, seeing one of his Guild members approaching with a simple envelope in her hand. "A letter huh?" He sighed and sat up. Another set of bills no doubt. "Alright let's see it."

The girl: Petra, set the letter on the table and grinned at him. By far the most cheerful member of the Guild. She was also the youngest member of Angel Wing at the age of sixteen. She stood at about 5'4 with dark skin, and long black hair that fell halfway to her waist. "It's from the Magic Council! About our request for official Guild status!"

"Is it now?" Marius asked. He took the envelope. He took a deep breath, before tearing it open. He pulled out the letter and unfolded it. Scanned it over, a small smile crossed his face.

"Master?" Petra asked. She cocked her head a bit. "What does it say? Did we get approved?"

Marius let his smile grow a bit wider. "You bet we did. We just got official approval from the Magic Council!" he announced the entire hall.

The hall itself was a rather quaint place. With wooden furniture. It was a bit small in size. But that's to be expected from a new Guild. About seven members filled the room. Another five were out on missions. Those present raised a glass and let out a cheer. Marius sat back, still smiling. Months of time, sweat and Jewel had finally paid off.

"Are you forgetting something Marius?"

The Master of Angel Wing sighed. He sat up straight as another Guild member approached. "I forget a lot of things Ayame, you're going to have to be more specific."

An attractive woman stepped into view. She with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes. She was thirty-one in age, the oldest next to him. She served as his assistant. A self-proclaimed one anyways. She'd known him since before he even started Angel Wing. "We have sixteen members. Both of us included. We're going to need new members, a bigger Guild Hall and a much better reputation."

Marius' smile vanished. "And you killed the mood again." A great talent of hers.

Ayame frowned and crossed her arms. She really needed to stop doing that, it made her look like a spoiled brat. "Just pointing out the truth of the situation. After all if I don't, you'll forget all about it."

Petra raised her hand a bit. "I can put out an ad for new members if you want," she suggested cheerfully.

Marius folded his hands and set them the table. He let a confident smirk cross his face. "That won't be necessary Petra. I think that our reputation speaks for itself." As soon as the words left his mouth, the door to the hall opened and a young man entered.

Marius waved at him. "Ah! Keiichi, how'd the job go?"

Keiichi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry Master. Quatro Cerberus also took the job, the client preferred them to an unknown."

"Yeah it definitely speaks for itself," Ayame said sarcastically.

Marius laughed nervously. He scratched the back of his head, turning over to Petra. "You know on second thought. Tell me more about this ad of yours."

 **And there you have it. Not all that exciting I'll admit. But that's just the intro. I'll have much more interesting things happen next chapter. Anyways here's the rules for all submissions.**

 **#1: No all-powerful God-like characters.**

 **#2: If you want to make a dragon slayer, they have to be a second generation one.**

 **#3: Try and come up with some unique magic! If you want to have someone use ice or fire magic, then come up with their own unique style of it. Or if you want to have a takeover mage, have their takeovers be unique.**

 **#4: No copying magic that's unique to someone on the show.**

 **#5: You can join either Angel Wing, or the Dark Guild Demon Fang. (S-class spots are all taken in Angel Wing, but not in Demon Fang.)  
**

 **And remember everyone. Have fun with it! I have a copy of the form and a list of available spots on my profile.  
**

 **OC form.**

Name:

Nickname:

Age:

Guild (Angel Wing or Demon Fang):

Gender:

Rank:

 **Appearance.**

Hair (Color and style):

Eyes:

Height:

Build (Muscular, athletic, ect):

Guild Mark (location and color):

Tattoos (If any):

Scars (If any):

 **Clothes**

Everyday:

Combat:

Formal:

Swimwear:

Winter:

 **Personality**

Personality:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Hobbies:

Favorite things:

Quirks:

 **Relationships (What kind of person would they like/dislike)**

Friends:

Boyfriend/Girlfriend:

Best friends:

Acquaintances:

Rivals:

Family:

Strangers:

Enemies:

 **Magic**

Name of Magic:

What does it do:

Names of spells and what they do:

Weapons:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

 **History**

Backstory (If they have one):

Family/friends (If any):


	2. Chapter 2: Introduction

**Hello everyone. I apologize for the delay. I got a cold and had a hard time finding a good way to start out. Anyways, all submitted OC's have been accepted. Here's a quick list of them.**

 **klbubblepop786's Julie Jones  
** **Derekjay2000's Morrigan Wrathblade  
** **BrownSugarBae's Raik Arienix  
** **SpuSpu's Kayden Orkani  
** **Joe's Arthur Rinestone  
**

 **Now here's the first chapter. Constructive criticism and suggestions are appreciated. Also if I got something about any of your OC's wrong feel free to let me know.**

March 10 X784

Ayame scanned the new job requests, setting them each to the side as she read them. Despite its new members, not many clients were willing to trust an unproven Guild with sensitive matters. Most jobs were pretty basic and low paying.

"Hey Ayame, what are you doing?"

She looked up from her work, finding Petra standing at the other side of the table. She let out a sigh. "Just reviewing the job requests."

Petra cocked her head. "Isn't that master's job?"

"He just left for a Guild Master conference," Ayame replied. She formed the jobs into a stack and set them down on the table. She glanced at the job board. "Do me a favor and pin these to the board."

Petra smiled. "Sure." She grabbed the small stack. "Any interesting jobs?"

Ayame shook her head. "Not really. But they're jobs."

Petra shrugged and walked off towards the request board.

Ayame kept herself sitting straight. Appearances were important despite what Marius kept trying to tell her. A light breeze flowed in from the open window, causing a paper to brush against her leg. She frowned slightly and peered under the table.

A final job request lay on the ground. This one addressed to Angel Wing. She snatched it and hurriedly checked the client. Finding it to be the mayor of the neighboring city of Murdock. She sat up began to read.

 _The Dark Guild Crimson Sphinx has taken over our Magic Archive. We're in need of a group of wizards to drive them out. Enemy numbers are unknown but estimated to be around twenty._

 _Reward: 5,000,000 J_

Ayame reread the paragraph three times. A Dark Guild with access to that much magic knowledge isn't something they could let slide. On top of that they asked for them specifically. There was really no refusing that job. She closed her eyes and pictured all members, present and away.

Aside from Marius, she was the only S class wizard in Angel Wing. Most were all pretty average, a couple below average. On top of that the danger quotient was a big unknown. She opened her eyes. "Julie. I need to talk to you!"

A young woman stood up and approached. One of the new recruits, Julie was 26 years old and stood at the height of 5'3. Her hair was sky blue hair and reached just past her shoulders, it was straight and went right over her left eye. She wore a pair blue jeans, with a cowboy belt and a T-shirt. "What's up?" she asked as she drew near.

Ayame handed her the job. "Take a look at this."

Julie grabbed it and read it over. A smile crossing her face as she did so. "You mean we finally got an exciting job?"

"A dangerous job," Ayame corrected.

"Same difference," Julie said with a shrug.

Ayame sighed. She had yet to get used to the woman's cheerfulness. "Long story short. We've been requested to clear out a Dark Guild. We have no idea how strong the Guild is. Under normal circumstances, I'd take the job. But I need to run this place while Marius is gone."

Julie got a dangerous look in her visible eye. "So what you're saying is: You need someone to go on the job for you."

Ayame nodded. "Basically."

Julie held up the job. "Ha! Don't worry I'll send them running with their tails between their legs!" She turned towards the door.

"Hold on," Ayame said before she could leave. She crossed her arms. "It's too dangerous. You're not going. Not until you pick a team to go with you."

Julie stopped short of taking a step. "A team?" she echoed.

"You didn't expect me to pit you against an entire Guild without any backup did you?" Ayame asked dryly. She stood up, adjusting her collar. "Now, follow me." She led the woman into the back room, which simply consisted of a file cabinet covered in dust.

"Man looks like nobody's touched this thing in years," Julie commented.

Ayame sighed, brushing off a layer of dust. "Dang it, Marius," she muttered under her breath.

"You say something?" Julie asked.

"Not at all," Ayame replied. She opened a drawer, revealing a small collection of files. She pulled one out and opened it. "Here's a list of every member in Angel Wing. Not very detailed but it lists their names, magic, and age." She held out the file.

Julie took it from her. She scanned the list of names, sometimes stopping on one or another. "Some interesting people sure joined in the past week."

"Tell me about it," Ayame grumbled.

A smile slowly started to spread across Julie's face. "And none of them have a team yet?" she asked slyly.

"I don't think so," Ayame said hesitantly.

"And would a team of five be acceptable?"

"… Yes."

Julie shut the file, her smile growing. "Then I've made my decision." She set the file down on top of the cabinet. "See you when the jobs done!" She waved before making a run for the door.

By the time Ayame turned in her direction, Julie had already left. She shook her head. She stared at the door for a good minute and a half. Were they sending all their new members at a Dark Guild? She shook her head. She hoped she wouldn't regret this.

.

At the train to Murdock...

.

The first half of the train ride had been awkward to say the least. Not that anyone hated each other. But few had crossed paths before, let alone had a serious discussion with each other. Julie folded her hands, looking over each member of the team.

Sitting directly across from her was Kayden Orkani. She squirmed in her seat, every few minutes she stood up and walked up and down the train, before sitting back down. She had a sturdy build, and long arms to match her height of 6'0. The muscles in her arms and legs were toned due to her daily training. She also had slightly pale skin.

Her hair was straight and went from a dark to a lighter gray as it traveled down her back. It stopped around the small of her back. She'd put it in a high ponytail, so it was less than that length. Her eyes were dark green color.

She currently wore her combat clothes, which consisted of a loose fitting green shirt with a dark gray coat over it. She also wore black leggings and a pair of green sneakers. She had on black fingerless gloves in case she went head to head with anyone.

She had a tattoo of a pair of bird wings on her shoulder in dark black. Her Guild mark was just above it in blue. Sitting to Kayden's right was another woman named Morrigan Wrathblade.

No one knew her story yet. She'd taken a job right after she joined and returned only recently. She'd spent the first half of the train ride with her nose buried in one of her books. Kayden had almost asked what she was reading, but then she saw the racy title and explicit cover photo and decided she didn't want to know.

Morrigan had eyes that were slanted, gold and slit pupils. She had shoulder-length, wild, maroon hair, which had eyebrow-length bangs, she kept it tied up with a bandana around her head.

Morrigan herself was a slim, yet voluptuous, woman with a small chest. She was 5'6 feet tall, with an X-shaped scar on her right cheek. She was dressed in a set of armor consisting of a breastplate, waist-guard, gauntlet's and leg plates. All featured a greenish-silver tint. The pauldrons proudly donned the Angel Wing emblem over each one and her legplates are designed with a decoration. The armor was worn with black pants, brown elbow-length gloves underneath the gauntlet's and complemented with an olive belt that was tied above the waistguard.

Every time Julie had seen her she'd been wearing that armor of hers. It seemed that wore it every day.

On Julie's left sat a boy named Arthur Rinestone. He was uncomfortably squished between herself and their last teammate. Both his hair and his eyes were a purple-ish black color. He was 12 years old and 5'2 feet tall. Despite his age, he had a tattoo on the back of his hand of a raven, black in color.

He had on black leather pants, a purple shirt, black leather jacket, with a pop-up collar, black sneakers edged with purple, and a silver amulet with a single amethyst gem. Out of all the people she recruited he was the most insistent on coming. Why? She had no idea.

Finally, there was Raik Arienix. He stared out the window at the rolling hills and trees with a small smile fixed on his face. Raik was the tallest of the group at 6'1. He had long, messy brown hair pushed back to look like a messy mane flowing backward, down past his shoulders.

The most noticeable thing about his appearance would have to his eyes, they looked like they contained the milky-way, full of stars with a black hole in the middle for his iris. He was in peak physical shape, with a long jagged scar traveling down from his left collarbone to his waist. Around his neck is a silver necklace with a starry sparkling tooth on it. He had lightly tanned skin.

Raik wore baggy gray combat pants tucked into black combat boots. He had a black belt holding his pants up and his daggers attached behind his back. He had a purple mesh V-neck on underneath a gray open front leather jacket that's back end trailed down to his knees to conceal his daggers. He kept the collar popped so that it came up to his cheek bones. He topped his outfit off with black leather gloves that extended into silver-plated plates on his forearms under the jacket sleeves.

He'd been around the Angel Wing grounds, but she'd never gotten a chance to speak with him. Whenever she saw him he was deep in meditation.

Julie cleared her throat, successfully getting everyone's attention. "So, we've all introduced ourselves. But since we're going to be working together we should know a little more about each other, don't you think?"

"Ah and what would you like to know my good woman," Raik said, turning his gaze away from the window and to her.

Kayden gave him a suspicious look.

Julie folded her hands and smiled. "Just the basics, your magic, strengths, weaknesses, and so forth. I'll start." She set a hand on her chest. "I practice Friction Manipulation Magic. As its name implies it allows me to control, generate and manipulate friction. So I can increase air friction enough to let me walk on air, or make an unmovable moveable. My strengths are in my magic, which makes me extremely mobile."

"Really? So can you also walk on water?" Kayden asked, leaning forward.

"Actually yeah I can," Julie answered.

"Awesome," Kayden said.

"Yeah? And what are your weaknesses," Arthur said, frowning at her.

Julie laughed a little bit. "Well, I can be a little too relaxed sometimes. And let's just say you shouldn't count on me in a fist fight."

Raik chuckled softly. "Don't worry, your talents are more than adequate."

"You haven't even seen her fight yet," Arthur muttered.

"Okay, who's next?" Julie asked.

"I will," Morrigan said immediately. She crossed her arms, her face totally serious. "I possess God slayer magic."

"Oh yeah? Was it taught to you by a God?" Kayden asked jokingly.

Morrigan looked her in the eye. "Yes."

Silence befell the group. For once Kay seemed to have no idea what to say. The quiet was broken by Raik, who appeared unfazed by that declaration. "That's amazing! You're an impressive woman," he said, breaking the tension.

Morrigan nodded. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "War God magic lets me devour unreleased aggression of any fallen foes to re-energize myself." She held out her hand, crimson energy surfaced on her palm.

"I wield the power of the God of War. I breathe passion through my lungs, consume fury through my mouth." She formed a fist. "And bring destruction by my fist."

Again Raik was the first to reply. "Your magic's as impressive as you are," he said casually.

Morrigan blinked at him several times. She frowned and drew back her hand. "Not interested," she said flatly.

Raik raised an eyebrow. "Not interested in what?"

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

Raik just shrugged.

"I'm also competent with a sword, hand to hand combat and possess a keen intellect if I do say so myself," Morrigan said with clear pride.

Kayden nodded as she spoke. "That's great. And what's your weakness?" she asked.

Morrigan turned her head toward the window. "I suppose I can be a little rash, and prideful. Darkness magic also has an advantage over me."

"Alright, that should be an easy enough fix. Just need to keep you away from shadow mage's," Julie said. She looked at those who hadn't spoken yet. "Next?"

Arthur cleared his throat. He shifted himself a bit. "I use Raven flame magic. It has both destruction and healing properties. My strengths are in my magic, my tattoo can also absorb fire magic. My weakness is holy magic."

"Should be useful," Morrigan commented.

"Where on earth did you get a tattoo that could absorb flames?" Kayden mused. She frowned at him. "And how did you even get a tattoo at your age."

"Long story," Arthur said, scratching the back of his head.

Kayden shrugged. "Alright." She grinned. "I'll go next. I'm a takeover mage. I specialize in mythic soul transformations. So far I have three of them total, Siren, Chimera, and Phoenix."

"Phoenix?" Raik repeated.

Kayden beamed. "That's right. My strengths are in mid-range and close quarters. I'm also capable with a sword." Her grin vanished. "On the flip side I'm not the best at defense. I don't like fighting in forests because I don't want to hurt nature."

That got her a nod of respect from Raik.

"And I'm downright terrible at long range combat," Kayden concluded.

"Impressive," Julie complimented.

"Thanks," Kayden said happily.

Raik had an uncharacteristic look of curiosity on his face. He folded his hands. "I'm especially interested about that phoenix form of yours. If it's anything like a real phoenix it must be amazing."

Arthur frowned at him. "Why are so interested in the phoenix?"

Raik pointed at himself. "Well, it just so happens that I'm a phoenix slayer." He held up his right arm and called out his magic. His specific magic was colored like the milky-way, with lots of shades of blue and purple that seemed to mix together and sparkle. "The Cosmic Phoenix slayer to be exact."

Julie leaned forward, whistling at the display. "Not bad. What does it do?"

"Well my good lady, it burns on impact but leaves a freezing effect afterward. Sort of like when a star explodes," Raik said. He admired the magic himself. "In terms of raw power. Phoenix slaying is a step below God slaying and a step above Dragon slaying."

Morrigan studied the strange looking magic. "Not bad. Were you raised by a Phoenix?"

Raik nodded. "Raised by the Cosmic Phoenix Arietis." He let the magic disappear. "I try to keep a calm mind in combat, and slayer magic, of course, has a strength advantage over normal magic. For weaknesses, suppose my tendency of letting my opponent make the first move can backfire."

"Sounds useful," Kayden said. She coughed. "Your strengths I mean, not your weakness."

"Thank you very much," Raik said humbly.

"Now that we know our teams own strengths, what about our enemy's?" Morrigan asked. She turned to Julie. "Did the request provide any details on what we're up against?"

Julie shook her head. "Not really. Just said there was about twenty of them. And that they were from Crimson Sphinx."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. "Them huh? I wouldn't worry about it," he said, folding his arms behind his head. "As far as Dark Guilds come they're low tier. The only real threat would be their master."

Morrigan sighed and reopened her book.

"So we shouldn't have any serious problems then?" Kayden asked.

Arthur shook his head. "Should be fine. As long everyone pays attention to what they're doing, it shouldn't be a problem."

.

Meanwhile in Murdock...

.

"Search the shelves! It has to be here somewhere!" Ajax ordered. He watched his Guild search the many bookshelves. They took out books and scanned through them with wind reader glasses.

"Master Ajax," a friendly voice called.

The Master of Crimson Sphinx stiffened at the sound. "Matsudo. What are you doing here? I told you to tell master I could handle this myself," Ajax insisted.

A young man approached him, clad in a black tuxedo with a bright red tie. He had dirty blond hair that he kept neatly combed. He smiled in a warm manner. "I ran that by him, he refused." He folded his hands behind him. "This mission is too important to take any risks."

Ajax snorted. "The nearest Magic Guild is six hours out. We'll have what we need in half that time." He crossed his muscular arms.

Matsudo set his hand on one of the shelves, delicately running his hand over each of the books. "All the same I think I'll stick around. There's so much interesting material here. Wouldn't hurt to bring back a nice present for the master either."

Ajax rolled his eyes. "Right, more like a present for Jade," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh don't be so presumptuous my friend," Matsudo said cheerfully. He moved away from the shelf and towards the stairs. "Keep up the good work. If you need me I'll be taking my pick of the loot." He strolled up the staircase.

Ajax sighed as he left. Some higher up breathing down his neck, just what he needed. He glared at his men. "Pick up the speed! We're finding those books before he does!"

"Yes sir!"

 **Hope you all enjoyed it.**


	3. Archive Heist part 1

**Thank you for your reviews everyone, they were helpful and appreciated. Also I've accepted the following OC's.**

 **Dark Elf Slayer's** **Danghoul yamaca**  
 **Lewamus Prime's Koan Crimson  
Cybertronian Spartan's Marcus Cersy  
MelodyOfSoul's Diana Florenca**  
 **Lord of Leopard's Javael  
Martyn's Sora**

 **Regretfully these characters won't be appearing this chapter. They will come in when I finish this story arc.**

 **Anyways here's the next chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also I'm still not the best at writing fight scenes so I apologize if those aren't that great.**

March 10 X784

Murdock was a small city all things considered. But a highly visited one. Festivals were held there all the time, it had a great view of the mountains, the locals were friendly and they dressed almost as colorfully as the streets were. But the main attraction for wizards was the multiple Magic Archives.

Filled with books on the history of magic, spell books, and biographies by legendary wizards. Many came to learn from its vast stores of knowledge. Each of the archives looked distinctive from the others.

The most noticeable of them was located in the center of the city. It was a circular building, five stories tall. The exterior was made completely out of marble. The roof was shaped like a cone, constructed with blue tile. Filled with the highest quality books in the region. That is the Archive currently occupied by Crimson Sphinx.

.

In the Murdock town hall…

.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." An elderly man stood up to greet them. Dressed in a black suit with a short gray beard.

Julie smiled at him. "Don't sweat it." She plopped down on one of the chairs, folding her arms behind her head. "I take it you're our client?"

Morrigan took the last available seat, folding her arms.

"Yes, I am Mayor Jacot of Murdock. At your service," the man said with a slight bow. He retook his seat at his desk. "Now, I'm sure you must have questions. We sent out the request in such a hurry that we didn't attach that many details to it."

Kayden opted not to sit at all, instead exploring the quaint little office. She approached a shelf covered in old photos of the city.

Julie leaned back in the leather chair. "Well for starters, why would Crimson Sphinx attack an Archive like this? That's a little bold for a Dark Guild."

Jacot frowned with clear animosity. "Crimson Sphinx has been a nuisance to us for over a year now. They come when we least expect them, take what they will, then flee before the Army or Guilds can respond. This is just yet another insult leveled at the city itself."

Raik raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so that's why you requested us specifically."

Jacot nodded. "Precisely." He folded his hands and set them on the desk. "Their bold actions suggest that they don't know of Angel Wing's existence, this gives us a rare opportunity, one to cripple Crimson Sphinx in one precise blow."

Kayden walked back over to them. "How so? Sure taking out twenty of them will delay them. But why would it cripple them?"

A wry grin crossed Jacot's face. "In his ignorance, Master Ajax himself has appeared. And not just him! No, he's brought his three lieutenants along with him. If you take all of them down at once, the entire Guild will fall into disarray and disband."

Morrigan smirked at that. "Well, guess this'll be fun after all."

Arthur crossed his arms. "You're saying we get a chance to take out an entire Dark Guild at once?" he asked a determined gleam in his eyes.

Jacot nodded. "That's right."

Julie smiled and hopped to her feet. "So all we have to do is bust in, kick the tar out of them, and go home five million jewel richer?" she asked eagerly.

Jacot blinked a few times, clearly taken off guard by the woman's enthusiasm. "Well, yes. But it'll be difficult."

"Ah, what's life without a few bruises?" Julie said dismissively.

Raik smiled. "Your bravery is inspiring."

.

At the Magic Archive…

.

Ajax slowly turned, narrowing his eyes at a rather puny one of his wizards. "What do you mean a Magic Guild has responded?" he asked nicely though his facial expression was anything but.

The man retreated a step. "I swear master! It's true! A team of em' just walked into town hall!" he blurted out. The search began to slow at his words. Several began murmuring to each other.

Ajax shook his head. "Impossible. There hasn't been a Guild in his region since Holy Seraph disbanded. And no other Guild is close enough to get here so quickly. You must be mistaken."

"I know that sir. It's just, I don't recognize their mark, I think it's a new Guild," the man said. This caused an even bigger stir among the dark mage's. Several stopped and glanced at their master.

Ajax stayed silent for a second. He closed his eyes. "How many?"

"Five, sir."

Ajax nodded. "Did you get a good look at their emblem?"

"Yeah, it looked like an Angel with one wing."

Ajax opened his eyes. "Five wizards from some newbie Guild won't stop us. Resume the search." As ordered his men continued scouring the shelves. Ajax pointed at the messenger. "You keep watch, I want to know the moment they even think about coming near here."

"Yes sir," the messenger said, his confidence returning. "I'll make sure they won't catch us off guard."

"Good," Ajax said, his anger dissipating. He pointed at another man who kept watch out the back window. "And you! Tell my lieutenants to prepare for the arrival of these wizards. We've come too far to be stopped by a band of nobodies."

.

Outside the Archive…

.

The Magic Archive loomed in the town square. Two men could be seen keeping a watch out the windows, all looking their direction. The building was surrounded by local guards, not enough to storm the building or prevent their escape. All they could really do was prevent anyone from approaching the building.

The team stood outside the tower, waiting as Julie talked to the sergeant in charge of the military blockade. Kayden often times walking back and forth, while the others just stood in place.

Morrigan slowly grew irritable as they waited. Julie wasn't even hurrying! She was just taking her time in asking her questions.

"Excuse me Kayden, I have a question for you if you don't mind," Raik said politely.

"What about?" Kayden asked as she paced.

"Your Phoenix takeover, where did you get it?"

Kayden smiled. "My mother taught my brother and me our magic. Blazing Phoenix was another of the spells she helped me learn."

Raik folded his hands behind his back. "Your mother must be a truly great woman. Especially if she raised such a confident young lady," he said casually.

Kayden paused for a second. "Thanks, but I'm not interested in a boyfriend." She resumed her walking.

Raik shrugged. "Who was trying to be your boyfriend?"

Arthur sighed in frustration.

"Enough!" Morrigan exclaimed, finally losing control. She pointed straight at Kayden. "You! Stop moving and stand still!"

Kayden came to a halt, taken off guard by the sudden shout.

Morrigan next pointed at Raik. "And you! Stop flirting with every woman we see!"

Raik looked horrified at the thought. "I assure you I'd never-"

"Save it," Morrigan said firmly.

Arthur watched the scene unfold, retreating a step. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it again.

Kayden recovered from her surprise and glared at the God slayer. "And why the heck should we listen to you?"

Morrigan returned the glare with matching fury. "What was that?"

Any further arguing between the women was cut off by the timely return of Julie, who was blissfully unaware of what just happened. "Hey guys!" she greeted. She walked right in between the two women. "I cleared things with the sergeant. We can head in whenever we're ready."

Raik folded his hands behind him. "Great job, you're truly a marvel," he said, diverting Morrigan's glare away from Kayden and over to him.

Arthur cleared his throat, successfully getting everybody's attention. "We should get going. One of their lookouts may identify us if we wait too long."

"Good point," Kayden said. She spun towards the Archive and took a few steps in its direction. "Let's get going."

The team passed the military blockade and advanced on the Archive's front door. One of Sphinx's lookouts noticed them and shoved open his window. He raised his magic rifle and fired a magic round at them.

Julie lurched to the side just in time to dodge. She smirked. "Speed force!" She manipulated her velocity, causing her speed to increase tenfold.

Behind her Kayden was covered in a golden glow. "Takeover! Mythic Soul, Chimera!" She transformed and sprang forward, her speed increased by her new form.

Morrigan glanced at the shooter, seeing him aim in her general direction. She narrowed her eyes at him and raised a hand. "War Gods Proton Cannon." She created an orb of crimson energy around her hand and fired it at the lookout, taking out both him and a section of the wall.

"Nice shot!" Raik complimented.

Julie slid to a stop before reaching the door. She tried to shove it open, but it didn't budge. She frowned, taking a step to the side. "Anyone care to give me a hand here?"

"I got it!" Kayden called. She leaped forward and kicked the center of the door with all her might, causing the doors to fly open.

The rest of the team all gathered at the door. Arthur glanced at the broken lock. "That's one way to open a door," he commented. He stepped inside and scanned the area around him.

The interior consisted of a maze of bookshelves, containing hundreds upon hundreds of books. A golden chandelier hung overhead, illuminating the room. Overhead was a balcony with even more shelves and a staircase leading to the next floor. Not a single soul could be seen.

Raik frowned, searching the winding shelves. "Keeping themselves hidden are they?" He sniffed the air a few times. He took the lead, gesturing for the others to follow. "Right this way."

Kayden returned to her human self. Her clothes were loose enough that they didn't tear when she transformed. "You know where they are?" she asked.

Raik chuckled. "My nose may not be as sharp as a dragons, but it can pick up the filth of dark wizards anywhere." He entered began to navigate through the shelves. The team followed behind him single file.

Morrigan checked each shelf they passed for hostiles. In all that, they passed not one was missing even a single book. "Doesn't something seem a little off to the rest of you?"

Julie shrugged. "I don't know, like what?"

"For one thing, Crimson Sphinx went through all of this trouble to break into the Archive, and yet I don't see any missing books," Morrigan pointed out.

Arthur slipped his hands into his pockets. "You're right. On top of that, Sphinx is a pretty small time Guild. An attack on the Archive's a bold move even for them. If you ask me there's something more to this."

"Either way we'll fix it by kicking their butts," Julie chimed in.

Raik came to a sudden stop, causing Kayden to bump into him, Julie into Kayden, Morrigan into Julie and Arthur into Morrigan. Raik stumbled forward, balancing himself before he fell.

The entire team glowered at him as he checked the scent again. He took a few more steps, leading them to the center of the room. A place with no shelves, just leather furniture with a rug covering the ground.

"So, where are they?" Arthur asked, crossing his arms.

Raik slowly searched the perimeter. His eyes narrowing, he could smell them, they were close, and yet… "Well that's just it, according to my nose, they're all around us."

Kayden squinted at the nearest shelf. "What? That can't be right. If they were here we'd see them."

"Oh really?" Raik inhaled deeply, picking up the smell of a rather unkempt man. He moved over towards a simple couch. He simply stood there for a moment. He heard the faint sound of a swish and raised his arm. Something solid collided with his wrist, something made of flesh and blood. He grabbed ahold of it and smirked. "There you are."

A man appeared in front of him, previously hidden by magic. What Raik had grabbed onto was his fist. The man was of average height with pale skin. His hair was long and tied back, brown in color. He returned the smirk. "Not bad."

"Invisibility magic huh?" Kayden asked rhetorically. "Just who are you anyways?"

The man jerked his arm free and leaped backward's, over the couch. He landed a good three yards away from the group. He chuckled, setting a hand on his chest. "I am Hirota Maresuke, esteemed lieutenant of Crimson Sphinx."

Morrigan pounded her fist against her palm. "Bold move, attacking alone."

Hirota laughed. "Who said anything about alone?" He clapped twice.

Four men appeared all around them, blocking every exit path. All bore the mark of Crimson Sphinx.

Morrigan sighed. "I take it back, you're just a coward."

Hirota chuckled. "Chameleon magic, on." He vanished once again. One by one his men disappeared with him.

Raik sniffed again, detecting a fast approaching scent behind him. He spun around and inhaled, his cheeks puffing up. "Cosmic Phoenix breath!" He bellowed out a stream of milky-way colored energy. It struck something invisible, a cry of pain sounded the moment it did.

The victim of the attack turned visible again. He fell on his back, writhing in pain. "Ah! What is this? It's freezing," he gasped. He leaned back against a bookshelf and panted.

Raik turned back to the rest of the group. "You guys go ahead." He pointed at himself. "I'll take care of this."

Julie hesitated. "You sure?"

Raik nodded. "I'm the only one that can detect this Hirota. It's best if I stay and deal with him." He smelt another man moving in from the left. He turned at the last minute and leaned back a bit, magic collecting around his head. "Cosmic Phoenix meteor strike!" He head-butted the attacker, who's invisibility deactivated as he fell on his back.

"Alright, be careful," Julie said, she signaled for everyone to follow her.

Raik nodded. "Of course."

Julie ran off towards the stairs, signaling for the team to follow. They departed unchallenged.

Raik closed his eyes. Counting Hirota, there were still three left. The scent of another unknown came from straight ahead of him. He opened his eyes and punched, yelling "Cosmic Phoenix fist!" as he did. This time, he struck nothing.

He pulled back his arm and retreated a step. He felt a fist collide with his stomach. He grunted and raised both his hands, folding them together. He brought them down on the cloaked enemy. The wizard uncloaked and fell on his face.

Raik exhaled, two to go. He smelled another attacker moving in from behind him. He turned and lifted his arms. "Cosmic Phoenix!" He brought them down, unleashing a wave of magic. "Wing attack!"

He destroyed a good portion of the furniture with that spell. But it also hit the wizard, who also uncloaked and flew back. He landed on his back and groaned.

Raik dusted himself off. "Alright, Hirota." He began to turn around. "Just you and m-" Before he finished his sentence a fist slammed into his nose.

.

On the second floor…

.

Kayden hurried after the rest of the team. "So you think Raik can defeat that guy by himself?" They were in the process of ascending a set of spiral stairs.

"He'll be fine," Morrigan said plainly.

Kayden frowned at her. "How do you know? You haven't even seen him fight before."

Morrigan sighed. "He said he was raised by a phoenix. I may not have met one before, but imagine they taught him well. If what he did to those first two is any indication." She gave her a stern look. "Now stop worrying about him and keep your mind in the present."

"Yeah, yeah," Kayden muttered.

The team came out at the second floor, which in many ways resembled the first. A room full of shelves, but this time with no balcony. This time, they were faced by two men from Crimson Sphinx.

The first wore a gray jacket, black pants and a pair of gloves. He had blond hair, spiky and untamed. He grinned at them. "So, the reports were right. There is a team of wizards scurrying about the Archive."

The second was a rather bored looking girl with long red hair that looked as though it hadn't touched a brush in years. All she had for clothes was a loose T-shirt and baggy pants. She just sighed upon seeing the team.

Kayden blinked a few times, not entirely convinced what she was seeing was real.

"So is bad hair a thing with Sphinx Lieutenants?" Julie asked.

"What? No of course not!" the man yelled.

"Okay," Julie said uncertainly. "Anyways, who're you guys?"

The man's grin widened as though he'd been waiting for her to ask. "Behold! I am Lieutenant Fujimori! Cower in fear!" He pointed at them.

Julie raised an eyebrow. "Um, okay."

"If you're such a big deal how come no one's ever heard of you?" Arthur asked.

"What was that?" Fujimori asked. "Even kids are dissing me now!" The palms of his hands burst into flames. "I'll teach you to show some respect you little brat!"

"Give it a rest," the girl muttered. She lazily raised a hand. "Hey, I'm Lieutenant Hamada Kiho." She promptly lowered her hand again.

Julie smiled. "Oh, hey!"

Morrigan shook her head. "This a waste of time. Let's take them down and keep moving." She started strolling towards the duo. If she was concerned in any way about the lieutenants she sure did a good job in not showing it.

Fujimori licked his lips. "So you think we're pushovers eh?" The flames on his hands intensified. "Well then, by all means, show us what you've got."

Morrigan narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I will." An intense aura of magic appeared around her.

Arthur hurried over and grabbed the woman's arm. "Forget about them. You should save your magic for their master."

Morrigan glanced down at him. "Then who's going to take care of them?"

Kayden raised her hand. "I'll take of one."

Arthur let go of Morrigan. "And I got the other."

Julie chewed on her lip. "I don't know. They might look like a pair of morons, but I doubt they'd be lieutenants if they were really that bad."

"You know we can hear you right?" Fujimori asked, his left eye twitching with irritation.

Arthur took a step forward. "Just go on ahead. We'll take a few minutes to defeat these guys then join you on the next floor."

"Alright, if you say so," Julie said. She started to move towards the stairs. "Let's go Morrigan, good luck guys."

Morrigan reluctantly pulled away.

Arthur pointed at Fujimori. "I got him."

Kayden nodded. "Right. I'll take Hamada."

Fujimori cackled. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're sending a little brat to fight me?" He lifted both his hands. "Now that's just insulting!" He sent forth a wave of fire.

Arthur summoned a wall of a black fire that blocked the attack.

Kayden turned her attention to Hamada. She breathed in. "Takeover, mythic soul Chimera." The glow of magic surrounded her for a moment and when it vanished she'd assumed her transformation. She took on the hind legs of a lion, dark scales of a snake on her stomach, chest, and up to her elbows on her arms, and horns curled out of her head.

Hamada raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but you look a little odd."

Kayden frowned at her. She studied the lieutenant's movements. Everything her opponent did was rather slow and sluggish. She almost seemed like she wanted to go take a nap rather than fight her.

Kayden formed a fist and charged. She formed a fist to punch her opponent.

Hamada clapped her hands together. "Come guardian." A magic gate opened behind her and a creature emerged from it. The beast towered at ten feet tall, black fur covered it from head to toe, ten horns stuck out of its head and its teeth were made of iron. It intercepted Kayden, swinging its muscular arm at her.

Kayden dug her heels into the ground, managing to stop before she was in its range. She retreated a few steps. She looked up at the guardian uncertainly.

"Meet my guardian, Imperium," Hamada said casually.

The monster growled at her, baring its metal teeth.

Kayden inhaled, and dashed at it. She slammed her fist into the beast's chest.

Imperium fell back one step. It looked down at her and began to swing its arms.

Kayden retreated, dodging each of its powerful but slow attacks. She ducked under one particularly close blow and grit her teeth. "What, can't fight yourself?" she taunted. She ran forward and kicked the guardian in the knee.

Imperium roared, stumbling forward and falling on one knee.

Kayden peered around it, seeing Hamada standing a few yards away. She ran around Imperium and charged at her. "Let's see how you fight without your monster!" A moment before entering attack range a furry hand wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Kayden attempted to wiggle her way free. She glanced over her shoulder.

Imperium stood back up, a low growl escaping its teeth. His grip on her tightened.

Kayden gasped for breath. She started pounding away at the guardian's hand in the hopes of making it let go.

"Don't even bother," Hamada said. She sat down on the floor. "Imperium can't be defeated. Not by the likes of you."

.

On the fourth floor…

.

"Master, I have a report."

Ajax nodded. He looked down at the man. "What is it?" His men had searched roughly two-thirds of the fifth floor, they would soon achieve their objective.

"Your lieutenant's have engaged the enemy. The wizards all divided themselves up in order to continue moving. Two of them are fighting the downstairs guards. Should we send backup?"

Ajax thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "No need for that. Let them tire themselves out. When they arrive on this level, I'll take care of them." He formed a fist. "Personally."


	4. Archive Heist part 2

**Happy early thanksgiving everyone. On this chapter I will be wrapping up the current story arc. Next chapter will introduce all currently submitted OC's that haven't yet appeared in the story. As usual if I got anything about your character wrong go ahead and let me know.**

 **MelodyOfSouls: Thank you for your review and earlier advice. It was very helpful. Glad you're enjoying the story so far.**

 **BrownSugarBae: I'm glad, Raik is a fun character to write.**

 **Martyn: Thanks for entering.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

March 10 X784

.

On the first floor of the Archive…

.

"Cosmic Phoenix Talon!" Raik unleashed the spell but failed to hit his opponent. He grit his teeth, trying to pick up Hirota's scent again. Despite his best efforts, so far he'd failed to land a solid hit on the lieutenant.

His nose bled profusely from an earlier blow he suffered, making it harder to smell. His stomach and cheek also ached from a blow they took. He drew one of his knives and took a deep breath, vaguely smelling someone to the right.

He immediately turned and unleashed a breath attack that caused significant damage to a nearby bookshelf (something told him that'd be taken out of their pay). This time, he was rewarded for his efforts.

Hirota grunted, flickering back into sight for a moment before beginning to vanishing again.

Raik threw his knife at him, managing to open a gash on the dark wizard's cheek.

"Gah!" Hirota exclaimed just before turning entirely invisible.

Raik listened for any sounds of movement. Hirota was good, but he was starting to reveal a pattern to his attacks. He always waited before striking, and when he did it would always try and deepen whatever wounds he inflicted.

He glanced at the floor, seeing a small drop of red staining the rug. There was another spot a few feet to the right of the first. The cut on Hirota's cheek was leaving a nice trail that led ten yards to the left, in front of another bookshelf.

Raik smirked, stretching out both his arms. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" Seven stars shot at the lieutenant from his hands.

The first struck Hirota on the chest, causing his chameleon magic to deactivate. The next six hit him one at a time, he fell backwards at each blow. The final star knocked him back further so he bumped into the shelf. He groaned and began to fall, but grabbed onto the shelf to keep himself standing.

Raik let out a breath. His magic depleted from the battle. He approached the lieutenant and grabbed him by the collar. "Hirota was it? I have a question for you."

Hirota scowled at him. "And what's that?"

Raik gestured towards the shelves. "You attack a Magic Archive full of priceless books, and yet you haven't taken one of them. And if you're not after the books, what exactly are you after?" he asked calmly.

Hirota chuckled. "Heck if I know. Just following orders."

Raik narrowed his eyes. "Why would Ajax order you to attack an Archive but not steal anything?"

"Master Ajax?" Hirota began to fade into unconsciousness. Before he did a grin crossed his face. "No, someone a little higher up the ladder."

"That doesn't make sense, who's higher up than your own master?" Raik asked, tightening his grip.

Hirota's eyes closed and his body went limp.

Raik let go of his collar, allowing the lieutenant to drop onto the ground. If Ajax wasn't behind this, who the heck was? He shook his head. Regardless of who was behind it, he'd need to catch up with the others. He hurried off in the direction of the stairs.

.

On the second floor…

.

Arthur raised a shield of black fire, managing to counteract one of his opponents spells. Despite his poor first impression Fujimori was a talented mage to say the least. So far neither had gained much of an advantage.

Fujimori held out his arms, forming a fireball in between them. "You're not doing so bad squirt. A shame you chose to throw your lot in with the legal Guilds. With enough training, you could've been a powerful dark wizard." The fireball increased in size. "Hellfire bolt." He launched it at the boy.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I'd never join filth like you!" He shielded himself with the back of his hand. His tattoo absorbed most of the flames, but a portion of it got past and burned his arm. He grit his teeth, trying to blot out the pain.

He summoned magic to his uninjured hand. "Black fire torrent!" He let loose a stream of fire at his enemy. "You prey on the weak and helpless without a single thought for those you destroy. I'd sooner die then join you!" he proclaimed, continuously casting spells as he did.

Fujimori guarded himself against each attack. "Passionate words brat. But really you should be thanking us, after all without us, you'd have a lot fewer job requests." He laughed and counterattacked with multiple fireballs.

Arthur weaved his way through the incoming spells. One grazed his shoulder and another he had to absorb with his tattoo. "I don't care about that! I never even wanted to be a wizard, until a Dark Guild killed my parents!" He formed a whip of black fire and swung it at his enemy, striking his hand.

Fujimori yelled in pain, retreating a few steps. He rubbed the new burn on the side of his hand. He raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, I've heard of you. You're the kid that took out Azure Raven aren't you?"

Arthur allowed his whip to dissipate. "That's right, and I swore I'd destroy every last dark Guild for what happened to my parents." He covered his right hand in fire. "Sphinx is just another step on that path." He resumed his charge.

Fujimori laughed as though he just told the most hysteric joke over. "Oh, that's rich! The squirt wants to put an end to Dark Guilds? You can't even defeat me!" He gathered fire around each of his hands. "Hellfire Gauntlets." He raised his arm and threw a punch at the advancing boy.

Arthur evaded each of the lieutenant's blows, due to his size he could easily duck or jump out of the way. He kept a cool expression on his face as the battle progressed.

"C'mon little Rinestone, is that all you can do? I expected at least a bit more of a challenge," Fujimori said as he attacked. He folded his hands together and raised them overhead.

Arthur seized the moment and punched him in the stomach with his right hand, his flames enhancing the strength of his blow.

Fujimori took a step backwards, gagging from the sudden attack. The fire on his hands disappeared.

"Black fire surge!" A stream of flame blasted out of Arthur's inflamed hand.

It hit Fujimori in his already wounded cheat. He yelled in pain before falling on his back. He let out a rather pathetic groan.

Arthur lowered his arm. He set a hand on his burned arm and grimaced. "Restoration." A flame appeared on his hand, but this time it soothed the burn in his arm. The burn slowly began to fade.

Arthur looked off towards the right, where he'd last seen Kayden. Their respective battles had separated them. Considering how tough Fujimori turned out to be, he hoped she was having a bit better luck.

.

Meanwhile with Kayden…

.

Kayden struggled for breath. Though she'd struggled, she was still firmly stuck in Imperium's grasp. It slowly started to crush her, making it nearly impossible to draw in a breath. "T-takeover! Mythic soul, Blazing Phoenix," she gasped.

Once again she transformed. She had long bronze feathers covering her lower half and brighter yellow ones covering her upper body, leaving her stomach exposed. She also gained talons instead of feet. She set herself on fire, burning the hand that held her.

Imperium roared, releasing her and taking a step back.

Hamada watched the scene unfold from her spot near a bookshelf. She raised an eyebrow but otherwise showed no concern about what happened.

Kayden sprouted dark orange and red feathers from her back allowing her to fly. She landed and formed a fireball in each hand. She began throwing them at the beast as it fell back.

Imperium let out a groan with every hit. Its fur caught fire and spread until the creature was ablaze. Despite that, it was not consumed and didn't return to whatever realm it came from.

Kayden ceased her assault and exhaled. She glanced at Hamada. If the beast itself wouldn't be defeated, she'd just have to defeat the wizard herself. She jumped into the air and flew towards the lieutenant.

Hamada sighed and clapped her hands together again. The gate opened behind her again and Imperium appeared.

Kayden pulled back and threw a fireball at Hamada.

Imperium blocked it with its ablaze hand. It jumped forward and swatted Kayden out the air with a swing of its left hand.

Kayden slammed into a bookshelf, knocking several books onto the ground. Her back throbbed from the impact. She grit her teeth, forcing her way onto her feet.

Imperium stalked towards her. It stretched out its hand in her direction.

Kayden tossed another fireball at the beast. This time, it didn't even flinch.

Hamada watched from afar. A smug expression on her face.

Kayden closed her eyes. "Takeover, Mythic Soul: Siren Form." She opened her eyes the moment she completed her transformation. She gained aquamarine scales that covered part of her arms, face and chest, and teal fins stuck out of her back and the back of her forearms. She had a long cyan tail with a light blue tip.

Imperium was undaunted by the new form and continued his approach.

Kayden pelted the guardian with powerful blasts of water. It put out the flames in an instant and caused it to fall back. She ceased and folded her hands. Her magic was starting to run low, she'd have to finish it now. She opened her mouth and began to sing.

While normally just an average singer, her Siren form caused her voice to come out sweet as honey. Imperium stopped in place, its eyes slowly closed. It stood in place for a moment before falling face first on the floor.

Hamada stared at her fallen guardian in shock. She clapped her hands together but nothing appeared. "How did you?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Kayden used the last of her magic to hammer her with a wave of water, knocking the lieutenant out on impact.

Imperium disappeared as his master fell.

Kayden's takeover wore off. She slumped down to her knees. Talking crap about them before she saw them fight may not have been her brightest idea ever. She eyed the stairs leading up a floor. Seemed like they'd have to join up later.

.

Meanwhile on the third floor…

.

Julie leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. "Where in the world are Kayden, Arthur and Raik?" she wondered aloud. She watched the door in the hopes they'd come running through at any given second.

Morrigan rested on a couch a yard away from her. She closed her eyes, the corners of her lips tugging down. "We'll have to operate under the assumption that they're not coming. If so, what's our next step?"

Julie surveyed the area. The moment they entered the third floor they'd been greeted by a dozen Crimson Sphinx wizards. Their battle had knocked over quite a few of the bookcases and damaged the walls. But in the end they were victorious.

But now a good portion of their magic had been spent. They'd chosen to wait for the team to catch up, but so far no one had come. Julie shook her head. "We should head down and check on them. They might need help, and we'll need them to defeat Ajax."

Morrigan nodded. "Right, let's go." She rose to her feet.

Julie stood up straight and began to walk in the direction of the stairs. She climbed over the fallen bookshelves, overturned furniture and the unconscious bodies of Sphinx wizards. They reached the center of the room when Julie stopped.

"What's wrong?" Morrigan asked.

Julie suddenly whipped around to face the balcony. "Someone's coming."

"What?"

A man stepped into view on the balcony. Towering at the height of 7'0 with massive biceps. His skin was bronze in color with several scars on his arms and neck. His eyes were brown in color. He wore a sleeveless red vest with baggy black pants. Hs hair was black and less than an inch in length.

Morrigan narrowed her eyes. "Great, reinforcements."

Julie grew tense as the man looked down at them.

"You've gotten too far against my men," he said, his voice gruff. "I'll finish you and I'll do it myself." He vaulted over the railing and fell down to their level, landing on his feet. A dark blue aura of magic appeared around him.

Morrigan crossed her arms. "Master Ajax I presume."

The man laughed. "In the flesh." He scanned the room, taking note of each of his fallen men. "You've made quite a mess of our operation. I'll have much work to do. But first, to take care of you!" He stretched both his arms out. "Re-quip!"

Julie chewed on her lip. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. She cracked her knuckles one after the other. "We'll have to take him together. You keep his attention on you while I move around and provide support."

Morrigan nodded. "Got it."

A Warhammer appeared in each of Ajax's hands. He spun both around. "Come little wizard's. You've drawn me away from my mission, so I might as well entertain myself for a bit."

Morrigan breathed in. "War God's bellow!" She released a tornado of crimson energy from her mouth to attack the master of Crimson Sphinx.

Ajax raised his hammers into X formation. "Storm aura!" The magic around him converted into lightning that surrounded him like a shell. The God slayer's spell pounded the shield but failed to penetrate.

"Speed force!" Julie ran over to one of the still standing shelves. She set her hands on it and whispered. "Absolute velocity." The shelf began to slide forward at a constant speed, despite whatever got in its way.

Ajax glanced at it and pointed his hammer in her direction. "Storm bolt." Lightning jumped out of the weapon and destroyed the shelf, sending books and splinters of wood falling down around him.

Morrigan raised her hands and formed crimson energy between them, creating a very large spear out of it. She grabbed it and hurled it at the Ajax.

Seeing it coming he swung one of his hammers around, smacking it off to the side. "Storm arrow." Four arrows of lighting appeared around Ajax. He pointed his hammer at the God slayer. All at once the arrows targeted her and flew forward.

Morrigan dodged the first three, but the fourth struck her in the chest, sending an electrical current through her. She bit down on her lip to avoid letting her pain show. She scowled. "Re-quip!"

Ajax raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

A long sword appeared in Morrigan's hand. The hilt was pure gold and the blade seemed to glow like the sun. "This is the Sacred Sword of Fire, Clarent, a gift to me from my mother." The blade of weapon burst into flames.

Ajax admired it with greedy eyes. "Not bad. That should fetch a good price at the black market." He began to stroll towards her. "Who exactly is your mother? I imagine it she must have all sorts of artifacts, ones that I'd love to take a look at."

Julie crept towards the large man. She eyed his hammers and smiled.

Morrigan grabbed the hilt of her sword with both hands. "Oh, I'm afraid you won't be finding her," She smirked. "My mother is the Supreme War Goddess Athena."

Ajax paused for a moment. He smirked for a second, before breaking down and laughing hysterically. "You can't be serious." He pointed both hammers at her. "Storm bolt." Another blast of lightning streaked out of his weapons.

Morrigan swung with her sword, deflecting the bolt into the wall. She yelled and charged at him full speed.

Ajax remained where he was as she approached. He raised one hammer overhead and charged it with electricity. "Storm quake!" He pounded it against the ground. A massive wave of lightning went out in every direction, knocking both women off their feet.

Morrigan fell on the back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. She slowly rose back to her feet, taking up Clarent again. She saw Julie still lying on the ground. Seems she'd fight on her own for a bit. She focused back on the master of Sphinx.

On the balcony, dark wizards had begun to gather and watch the conflict. All were silent except for faint whispers and chuckling, all wore confident grins on their faces. They clearly didn't have a single doubt on who'd be victorious.

Morrigan yelled and ran at Ajax. She rained down blows with her sword, putting all her strength behind every swing.

Ajax parried each attack with his hammers. He occasionally attempted to knock her weapon from her hand with his superior strength and heavier weapons.

The two traded blows for the better part of five minutes. Neither gave an inch to the other. The sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the massive room. Eventually Morrigan took the advantage, dealing the master a blow to the chest.

Ajax's face showed pain but only for a moment. He guarded another incoming blow with one hammer while lifting the other overhead. "Mjolnir!" Electricity covered the weapon from bottom to top. He whirled it overhead before bringing it to bear on the slayer.

Morrigan tightened her grip on Clarent and clashed with the hammer. Electricity jumped from it to her, causing her hold on her weapon to release. The sword fell from her hand and clattered onto the ground.

Ajax chuckled and lunged with his other weapon.

Morrigan, still stunned from losing her weapon, didn't even see it coming. It collided with her stomach and knocked her onto her ground.

The Crimson Sphinx spectators let out a cheer.

Ajax put his hammers into X formation once again. The electricity from his one hammer spread to the other. "At least you managed to make things interesting."

"Speed force!" Julie ran in and jumped onto his back.

Ajax frowned and attempted to shake her off. "Just what do you think you're going to do to me?"

Julie reached out, grabbing the head of each hammer. She winced upon making contact with the electricity but didn't pull back her hand. "Inertia!" she yelled.

Ajax's hammers slipped from his hands and fell onto the ground. "What the- Get off!" He grabbed Julie and threw her off of him.

Julie flipped over and landed on her feet. She looked over at Morrigan, her brow knitting slightly. "You hurt?" She offered her hand.

Morrigan sighed. "Just my pride." She took her hand and pulled herself up. She dusted off her armor. "By the way, what did you do to his hammers there?"

Julie grinned. "Oh, that? By manipulating the inertia of the weapons, I made them unmovable objects. He won't be using them any time soon," she said the last part extra loud to get a reaction of their opponent.

Ajax sneered. "I don't need them to beat you, nobodies." He bent down and picked up the discarded Clarent. "This should be adequate for that."

Morrigan scowled at him. "Return the sword or I'll strip it from your corpse."

"I wouldn't talk so big if I were you, girl," Ajax countered. He channeled lightning into the already burning blade.

Morrigan clenched her fists. "Don't suppose you have a sword I could borrow."

Julie turned her pockets inside out. "Afraid not."

Morrigan sighed. "Wonderful."

Ajax began to approach them. He held Clarent out in front of him.

"Cosmic Phoenix breath!" A stream of milky-way colored energy flew between Morrigan and Julie, hitting Ajax in the chest.

The master fell back a single step, clutching his stomach.

Morrigan glanced behind her.

Raik stood at the entrance to the stairs. Arthur and Kayden both stood behind him. None looked to be in the best of shape. If anything they were on the verge of passing out. Kay looked especially weary.

Raik cleared his throat. "Sorry to keep you ladies waiting. But we ran into some trouble."

"Arthur patched us up as best he could. But we're not really in the best of shape," Kayden explained.

Julie smiled at them with clear relief. "We're just glad you're here now. Don't worry, we'll take care of the heavy lifting."

"How the heck did you take out my lieutenants?" Ajax asked, narrowing his eyes at them. His grip on Clarent tightened. "Either they've grown pathetic or you're tougher than I thought."

Kayden raised her hand. "I'm going to cast my vote towards the latter."

Arthur crossed his arms. "Looks like the balance of power has shifted in our favor Master Ajax."

"I'd surrender if I were you," Raik suggested casually.

Ajax's face betrayed no emotion. "This is beneath me." He raised one hand. "Men!"

The ten remaining members of Crimson Sphinx all began to chuckle and laugh. Some made a show of cracking their knuckles or summoning magic swords and spears.

"You know what to do," Ajax said calmly.

"Yes sir!" they said in unison. Some jumped over the railing while others just ran for the stairs, either way the remnants of the Guild amassed around their master.

"Well, this just got more complicated," Kayden commented.

Raik strode up beside Julie. "Like Kayden put so eloquently. We're in no condition to fight Ajax. But let us take care of his minions for you."

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, you two just focus on Ajax." He stood on Morrigan's left side.

"Takeover, mythic soul: Blazing Phoenix." Kayden turned back into her phoenix form.

Raik stole a glance back at her. A smile immediately crossed his face. "I knew it'd be amazing! Almost as amazing as you," he said excitedly.

Kayden smiled in return. "Thanks! But I told you I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"I wasn't-"

"Kayden," Morrigan said suddenly. She looked at her with an expressionless face. "You said on the way here that you were a swordsman, right?"

Kayden crossed her arms. "Yeah, why?"

Morrigan held out her hand. "Good! Hand it over," she urged, turning her head back towards Crimson Sphinx.

"What?!"

"Your sword, I need to borrow it," Morrigan answered.

Kayden frowned. "Why don't you use your own sword?"

"I forgot mine," Morrigan lied, glancing at Clarent. "Now hurry up I need it."

Kayden sighed. "Fine." She held out one hand. "Re-quip," she said halfheartedly. A black broadsword with a silver handle appeared in her hand. She offered the sword to the slayer.

Morrigan snatched it up. She cut the air with it a few times. She paused and examined it. "Hm, it'll do I suppose."

"Excuse me?" Kayden snapped.

Ajax held his arm overhead. "No more delaying!" He brought it down. "Charge!"

The entirety of Crimson Sphinx let out a shout and began to run at them. A few pulled ahead of the others while some lagged behind. Not the most organized charge of all time.

Raik stepped forward. "Well then, we'll just have to meet that charge." He sprinted straight at the advancing group. Immediately springing on the nearest wizard and taking him down with a Cosmic Phoenix fist.

Arthur ran in after him. "Leave some for me!" He entered the fray, overpowering one wizard with a blast of black flames.

Kayden flew into the air and began to pelt the dark wizards with fireballs. She effectively kept them from swarming her allies while taking out one of them.

Julie beamed. "Looks like it's our time to shine. Speed force!" She rocketed forward, moving straight into the crowd.

Morrigan stood in place for a moment. "War God's shock leg." She created energy from the feet, greatly enhancing her speed and allowing her to jet-propel in the direction of the fray.

Both women dodged their way through the brawl. A few wizard's attempted to stop them, but they easily avoided them. They passed through the group and charged straight for the master himself.

Ajax glared at the pair, pointing Clarent at them. "Storm bolt!" He fired another blast of lightning at them.

Julie threw herself to the right, effectively dodging the attack. Only to be attacked by a Sphinx wizard with a war hammer. She became preoccupied struggling with him.

Morrigan, on the other hand, took the blow head on. Pain exploded all throughout her body. She grit her teeth but still a brief cry escaped her lips. Her spell deactivated due to lack of concentration.

The lightning ceased. She looked up just in time to see Ajax bringing Clarent down on her. She narrowly deflected the attack with her borrowed sword. She retreated a few steps all the while defending herself from her opponent's offensive.

Ajax kept up his attack without ceasing. His face growing increasingly fierce as Morrigan continued to block every one of his slashes. He held Clarent with one hand and locked blades with her. He pulled his other hand back, lightning gathering around it. "Storm Gauntlet!"

Morrigan did the same with her right arm. "War Gods Crushing Fist!" She engulfed her hand in crimson energy. Each delivered a punch to the other's face, sending both stumbling back.

Morrigan's vision blurred. She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. "War Gods Shock Leg!" She ignited her feet with energy and proceeded to assault her opponent with a powerful energy-enhanced kick to the gut.

Ajax gagged, his eyes wide open as he reeled backwards.

Morrigan called up all her remaining energy. "War God's bellow!" She breathed it all out at the still recovering master, hitting him head on.

This time, Ajax actively let out a yell as the wave of crimson washed over him. Yet when it died away he still stood. Burns now covered his arms and his lower stomach. "Enough of this!" He shot a stream of lightning from his hand. "Storm tether!"

It wrapped around Morrigan's wrists, pinning them together. She attempted to pull them free and was rewarded with a painful shock. She winced but didn't cease her efforts.

Ajax pointed Clarent at her. "Storm bolt!" He hammered the defenseless woman with another blast of electricity.

Morrigan fell to her knees. She bit down on her lip and tried to hold in her pain.

"You've bested my lieutenants, made a mockery of my Guild and now you even challenge me," Ajax said calmly. He chuckled. "I may not complete my mission because of you. But I swear you'll never stand in my way again!"

"Absolute Velocity!" Julie yelled.

The hammer of the man who was previously occupying Julie flew into Ajax. It hit him in the stomach and he ended up flying across the room and into a stone wall.

The tether around Morrigan's wrists dissipated. She forced her way back to her feet. Her body still throbbing from her new lightning burns.

Julie walked over to her. "You alright?" she asked, her gaze fixed on her injuries.

Morrigan nodded. "I'll be fine." She sighed. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"No sweat," Julie said with a smile.

Ajax brushed the hammer off of him. He stood, his shoulders slouched and panting. Morrigan's offensive had clearly taken its toll on him. He bent down and retrieved Clarent.

"I got this," Julie said, taking a few steps forward. She breathed in. "Speed force!" She sprinted at him at incredible speeds.

Ajax waited for her to draw nearer before suddenly slashing at her neck with Clarent.

Julie ducked underneath the swing and scurried around to his back.

Ajax immediately turned around and continued lashing out at her with the Sacred Sword. "Well, you're fast I'll give you that. But how long do you think you can keep this up?"

Julie continued to evade until she stumbled into the Archive wall. She glanced at the wall and shrugged. Her face still as relaxed as ever.

"Ha! Where will you run now!?" Ajax lunged at her neck, full strength.

Julie smirked. "Air walk!" She increased the air friction in front of her enough to create a foothold. She put her left foot in it and vaulted straight over him.

Ajax ended up stabbing Clarent into the wall. He glared over his shoulder. "How on earth," he muttered.

Julie set her hands on her hips. "Surrender yet?"

Ajax growled, letting go of the sword and turning towards her. "Storm Gauntlet!" He covered his right fist with lightning and threw a punch at her head.

Julie dashed away before he could make contact.

"Lightning tether!" Ajax shot another stream of electricity out of his hand.

It wrapped around Julie's legs, tripping her so she fell on her back. "Ah." She winced, sitting up.

Ajax slowly advanced towards her. His face twisted with rage. "You have no idea what you're up against. Taking Jacot's request was a fatal mistake." He held both his hands in front of him. "Electric judgment." He formed a massive sphere of lightning in between his hands.

Julie grunted, trying to pull her legs free.

Morrigan stood up. She narrowed her eyes at the lightning mage. She called on the last of her magic to form a large spear. "War Gods explosive spear!" She hurled it at him.

Ajax raised his hands to eradicate Julie when the spell hit him in the gut. He stood it place for a moment, the lightning in his hands vanishing. He then fell on his back, comatose.

The tether around Julie's legs disappeared. She leisurely stood up. She sighed in relief. "Okay, that last one was a little too close." She dusted herself off, giving Morrigan a thumbs up. "Thanks for the save!"

"No problem," Morrigan said. She narrowed her eyes. "But in the future don't be so relaxed. You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed."

"Are you this strict all the time?" Kayden asked. She approached the pair, now back in her human form.

Arthur and Raik soon joined them. The Sphinx wizards all lay around, most of them unconscious and those who weren't were too injured to stand. "Well, it doesn't look like Crimson Sphinx will be causing Murdock any more problems," Arthur commented.

Raik slipped his hands into his pockets. "And it's all thanks to you talented young women," he said humbly.

Arthur cleared his throat.

Raik glanced at the boy. "Oh and you too Arthur."

"Gee, thanks," Arthur muttered.

Kayden nudged the unconscious body of Ajax with her foot. "You think this'll make into Sorcerer Weekly?" she asked hopefully.

"You never know. But if it does I bet Angel Wing will get a ton of publicity!" Julie exclaimed.

Morrigan cleared her throat loudly. "Before that. We should probably call in the guards so they can round everyone up." She walked over to the wall where Clarent was embedded and yanked it free.

Raik nodded. "A truly smart idea."

Before anyone could make a move for the door the sound of soft footsteps caused them to pause. Up on the balcony another man appeared. He was clad in a black tuxedo with a bright red tie. He had neat dirty blond hair and a smile plastered on his face. He held a black book in his right hand. "My my, you've sure made a mess of things haven't you?"

"Another one?" Kayden asked with a slight groan.

Arthur glared at him. "Look we already defeated your master so just turn yourself in. It'll save us all a lot of trouble."

The man glanced at the fallen Guild master. "Yes, I see you overpowered Ajax. But I'm terribly sorry to say, he's not my master." He began to descend the wooden stairs.

Raik narrowed his eyes. Hirota's words coming back to him. "You're the one who sent Crimson Sphinx here aren't you?"

"What?" Morrigan asked. She looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

"The lieutenant I beat said they came here on orders, from someone higher up the ladder then Ajax himself," Raik explained. His muscles grew tense. "Are you that someone?"

The man stopped at the last step and chuckled. "In a way."

Kayden sighed in frustration. "Just tell us who you are!"

He set a hand on his chest, his smile increasing. "I am Matsudo. I serve the master of the New Alliance."

"The New Alliance?" Julie repeated. She raised an eyebrow. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Matsudo sighed overdramatically. "Oh but I've gone on about myself for too long already. Now I must ask who the lot of you are?" he asked. The slightest bit of venom entered his voice for a moment.

Morrigan crossed her arms. "We're wizards of Angel Wing."

Matsudo was taken aback by those words. "You don't say. So Marius actually went and did it? How is he these days? It's been such a long time since we've talked."

"You know the master?" Julie asked quietly.

"Know him? Why of course! After all we are best friends," Matsudo said. His grin widening even more.

The team went silent. All except for Raik. All throughout the revelation he kept the same calm expression he always had. "Oh really? Well, why don't you come with us and we'll arrange a visitation between you two."

"So sorry, but my schedule is just too packed at the moment," Matsudo with fake regret. He looked over the fallen Sphinx wizards and sighed. "Really it's such a shame you had to ruin our operation. But such is fate I suppose."

"Out of respect and to repay an old debt. I'll be letting you go, just this once," Matsudo said as he strolled towards the door.

Morrigan tightened her grip on Clarent. "And what makes you think we'd let you go?"

Matsudo laughed cheerfully. "Oh, you're welcome to try and bring me down. If you can catch me that is." Right after speaking those words he disappeared from sight. The only sign he was there at all came from a slight breeze that brushed past the team.

"What on earth?" Arthur asked.

Kayden chewed on her lip. "Should we tell Master Marius about this?"

"We better," Julie said. She exhaled. "If an old friend of his is causing trouble he has a right to know."

Raik crossed his arms. "Of course if this New Alliance really did order the attack on the Archive that raises another question. What were they after?"

.

Unknown location…

.

"Crimson Sphinx was defeated! And you let the perpetrators go!" Mathias yelled. He slammed his hands against the desk. "On top of you have the nerve to claim all is well just because you managed to snag one lousy book!?"

Matsudo set a hand on his chin. "You should really consider some anger management classes. You're starting to look a little red."

Mathias sneered at him. But he laid back in his chair and relaxed. "When Master Dragon is done reading that book. He'll decide how to punish you himself. For which I truly pity you."

"Why thank you I didn't know you cared," Matsudo said with a fake look of happiness.

Mathias opened his mouth to speak again when the door to Dragon's chambers opened a young woman stuck her head out.

"Dragon has requested your presence," she said in a monotone voice.

Mathias chuckled. "Good luck."

Matsudo stood up and followed the woman inside. The chambers were rather dark and depressing. The interior was decorated with nice carpet and expensive furniture, all red and black in color. On the far side of the room, there was a massive window that looked out over the forest. Facing the window was a chair where the master himself was seated.

Matsudo stopped before reaching him and knelt down. "You called?"

The woman who led him in retreated back towards the doorway.

Dragon held up the book he'd brought him. "I commend you on securing our objective amidst the confusion. But allies are few and far between for us. The fall of Crimson Sphinx will damage our reputation."

"Yes, so sorry about that," Matsudo said. "But I think you'll be interested in knowing who defeated them."

Dragon sighed. "Who did it?"

"A Guild named Angel Wing," Matsudo replied.

Dragon fell silent for a moment. He waved him out. "Leave me."

Matsudo nodded. He stood up and turned to leave. He took his chance to steal a quick glance at their Guild emblem displayed proudly on the wall. The name of which was written underneath in black: Demon Fang


	5. Character introduction's

**Hello everyone. Thank you again for all the reviews. They're very much appreciated. Also, as you may have noticed I've reopened OC submissions, this time I'm allowing submissions for Demon Fang. If you've submitted an OC for Angel Wing already you can send in another for Demon Fang.**

 **Anyways, the following chapter has all currently submitted OC's who haven't yet appeared. Hope you enjoy.**

January 7 X775

A light snow fell on the city of Draycott. The city lights had all shut-off and its people gone to sleep for the night. The only people awake was an occasional watchman.

Marius admired the city as he walked down the main road. He smiled and nodded at a nearby guard. He was in a particularly good mood that day. He'd just completed his first ever S class quest! That demon never stood a chance.

He turned the corner into another street. The Holy Seraph Guildhall loomed in the distance. The pride of Draycott. Five stories tall and built entirely of stone. It was located atop a cliff, giving it a bird's eye view of the city. To think he was fortunate enough to be the right hand of such a Guild.

He heard the sound of a groan come from his right. He came to a halt and waited for the sound again. _What on earth was that?_

Again he heard the sound, this time he turned to identify the source. A small boy walked down the alleyway in his direction. He couldn't have been older than seven. He wore no coat or heavy clothing at all.

For some reason, he had a ginger fox tail with a gold tip at the end. He weakly raised his arm.

Marius stared at the boy, dumbfounded. He took a few steps toward him. "Hey kid, are you okay?"

The boy fell forward, landing face down in the snow.

"Hey!" Marius ran over to the fallen boy, rolling him on his back. He examined him for any sign of injury. While he found none he took notice of the boys thin frame. If he had to guess he'd wager he passed out from malnourishment.

Marius picked up the boy up and ran straight for the Guildhall.

.

Meanwhile…

.

"Dark shot!" Danghoul Yamaca pointed his finger at a nearby rock wall and fired a bullet made of pure shadow at it. The bullet bounced off the stone before dissipating. He groaned in frustration and repeated the spell.

Again he received the same result as before. He tried a third time, a fourth, a fifth. Regardless of how many times he tried the end result was the same. Eventually, he ceased his efforts. "Ugh! What am I doing wrong?"

"You're attempting to force it," an inhuman voice answered. A figure of pure shadow emerged from behind him. Made entirely of solid shadow that resembled a male human. The only human feature he had were his glowing silver eyes. That was his father, Kagesuchi.

"How else am I supposed to penetrate a stone?" Danghoul snapped.

Kagesuchi folded his hands behind him. "In battle it's not brute strength that decides the match, but wisdom. Don't focus on making your spell powerful, there are a thousand wizards who all do just that. Instead you must hone your mind, find your enemy's weak point. Then when you strike it won't matter how much strength the attack itself may have."

Danghoul paced back and forth. "I know, you keep saying that! I get it!" he cried in exasperation.

Kagesuchi knelt down to his level. "I repeat myself because you haven't yet learned." He stood up and pointed at the rock. "Dark shot." He fired a bullet the same size as Danghoul's at the wall. Only his shot hit where a crack had already formed. A portion of the wall crumbled as a result.

"Whoa," Danghoul said, staring at the remnants of his target. He frowned. "I want to try again!"

Kagesuchi took a few steps back. He gestured towards what remained standing. "By all means."

Danghoul pointed his finger at the wall and breathed in. "Dark shot!"

.

May 10 X782

.

"You want to join?"

Ayame glanced up from her paperwork. Applying for official Guild status was a pain, even bigger pain when the Guild master was dragging his feet. She currently sat at the bar of their newly constructed hall.

Of course, the problem with being the newbies is that nobody wants to join you. So far all they had was Petra playing with some marbles over in the corner, and considering she was her legal guardian, that wasn't much of an accomplishment.

She turned to Marius, who sat on a table a few yards away doing his own paperwork. Standing on the other side of the desk was a young woman, if she had to guess she'd say she was sixteen years old.

Marius himself looked in all aspects to be a normal man. His build was a bit muscular than average, but nothing stuck out about him. His black hair was straight and short. His eyes were green. He wore a long sleeved white jacket accompanied by gray pants and black shoes. That made the girl who stood across from him stick out even more.

She had waist length hair, black in color and tied in a side ponytail. The tip of her hair was curled and dyed blood red as well as her side bangs that mostly covers her eyes. Her eyes were almond shaped and bright red in color. What made it stand out even more was the fact that the girl wore decent black eye make-up on them.

She was 5'5 and had a pale athletic hourglass figure. She also had a crescent tattoo on her collarbone. She wore a regular black tank top under a red leather vest, black hot pants, and black biker boots. She also had a red belt with silver studs on it, black fingerless gloves, and a keychain holding a cluster of keys.

Ayame allowed herself to turn away from the paperwork for a moment. She had to admit, she was curious why someone like her would randomly walk into an unknown Guild.

"Yeah that's right," the girl answered. She crossed her arms. "Are you the master?"

"That I am," Marius responded. He smiled and bowed his head. "Marius, at your service. And you are?"

"Diana, Diana Florenca," the girl replied.

"Well Diana, we'd be happy to have you," Marius said. He smiled a bit sheepishly. "But as you can see we're a little understaffed at the moment. So if you want to join, know it's probably not going to be all that glorious."

"That's fine. I'm not hoping for a spotlight, just something to keep me busy and take my mind off of something," Diana said. Her voice was calm and steady. For her age, she seemed to act remarkably mature.

Marius nodded, opting not to pry. He eyed her keychain, which held several see-through keys, ones that looked like glass. "Well, I can that you're a Celestial wizard. Exactly what kind of spirits did you summon?"

"Olympian spirits," Diana replied. She gave him a bit of a wary look.

"Alright." Marius wrote something down on a file. "And do you have any family?"

Diana visibly stiffened at the word. "I do. Now if you don't mind I'd prefer you keep the rest to myself," she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Marius gave her a long, analyzing stare. "Very well," he conceded. He set down his pen and folded his hands. "Welcome to Angel Wing Miss Florenca."

"Thanks," Diana said. She looked around. "Quick question, I was under the impression that this was the sight of Holy Seraph. And that you were a part of it."

Marius returned to his paperwork. "It used to be, and I was."

"What happened to them?" Diana asked.

Marius smiled as he continued. "They disbanded. The rest I'll be keeping to myself."

"Fair enough," Diana muttered. She walked over and took a seat at one of the tables in the corner.

.

February 2 X784

.

"Wake up."

Anya groaned, forcing her eyes open. She found herself staring up into a red, smoky sky. She groaned and sat up. "What the," she muttered, rubbing her forehead.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Anya shook her head, chasing away her grogginess. She looked up at the source of the voice. "Master Nagata!'

An elderly man of average height stood in front of her. He had long white hair with a beard on his chin. Every single hair on his head seemed to work independently from the other. He had a rather frail build and carried a wooden cane to support himself.

He wore a light gray coat with black pants. A pair of boots covered his feet. He looked down at her with cold eyes. "I leave you in charge for one measly day, and this happens." He gestured over to the right.

Anya slowly turned her head in the specified direction. She was met with the sight of burning rubble. Injured lay all over the place though she couldn't see any that were dead. "I, well."

"Dragon's going to be pretty pissed about this," Nagata said, clicking his tongue. He set his hand on the ruins of a wall. "Please tell me you at least have a decent excuse."

"It was subject K-C!" Anya blurted out.

"K-C?" Nagata laughed heartily. "I put him in a straight-jacket! Do you really expect me to believe that he did this?"

"But he did master!" Anya insisted. She narrowed her eyes. "Believe me, I know what he's capable of. He unlocked his magic and freed himself. We were completely overwhelmed! There was nothing we could do."

Nagata raised an eyebrow. "Really? How interesting." He turned around. "It's not your fault Anya." He started to walk away.

Anya sighed in relief.

"But Dragon won't know that," Nagata continued.

.

March 15 X784

.

Marius sighed, sitting down at his regular spot in the Guildhall. He rubbed his forehead. That was the last Guild master conference he was ever going to, ever. He looked around the room, noticing a few unfamiliar faces.

Ayame noticed him and came over. "Welcome back. How was your first Guild master conference?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

Marius stared at her. "I was almost killed by a flute demon," he said seriously.

Ayame let a rare smirk cross her face for a second. Though it vanished the moment she realized he wasn't kidding. "A flute, demon?" she asked.

Marius nodded. "Yep. On the bright side, a team from Fairy Tail took out it, along with the conference building, so the next meetings been postponed."

Ayame shrugged. "Well, at least it was a memorable first meeting." She crossed her arms and nodded in the direction of the assembled members. "Plus now we're covered for both dragon and demon attacks."

Marius took a better look at some of the unfamiliar faces gracing the room. "I noticed we had some new members. Mind giving me a run through?" he asked.

Ayame smiled proudly. "Of course." She pointed at a man standing up against the wall. "That there is Javael, he joined a day after you left. He kept his story a secret like Diana, but from what I can tell he suffers from some sort of multiple personality disorder. Something he seems to be trying to get control over."

Javael wore an unzipped black hoodie, a dark red long sleeve shirt underneath, a pair of black jeans, and matching dark red vans. He had a slim build with muscle definition. His hair was silver in color and messy. His eyes were blue and he was around 6'0. He didn't move to interact with any of the other members. It seemed as though he preferred to be alone.

Marius nodded at him. "Seems like an interesting guy. Any others?"

Ayame pointed at another man sitting in the center of the Guild, who was sitting at a table with a young girl. "That over there is Marcus Cersy, and that's his sister Emily Cersy."

Marcus had raven black hair that he kept a few inches long, combed up so it stayed out of his face. He looked to be 5'8 and while not extremely well built, was clearly quite strong. His eyes were icy blue. He was dressed in a black polo shirt, with blue trims on the back pocket, the sleeves, collar and the base of the shirt. Midnight blue denim jeans, and an orange belt. Black boots and no gloves. He also has a small pendant around his neck, a small sword-like object that has a sapphire held in the center.

His sister Emily shared his hair color, She kept hers shoulder length and in twin ponytail. She had amber eyes, and an athletic build. She wore a white blouse with yellow patches here and there, and a pair of black boots. She was only about four feet tall and had no pendant. But she did have a keychain with a few celestial keys hanging from it.

Marcus greeted Raik as he passed by and the two began to chat. He seemed to be very calm and collected. Not that they were in a very stressful situation of course.

Marius squint at him. "Hm, you know, I could've sworn I heard that name somewhere before." He started trying to think of all the places he might've seen something about the wizard. He snapped. "Ah yes! Now I remember! There was an incident of some kind involving him and a destroyed village."

Ayame crossed her arms. "He broke up with Titania Erza."

"Oh," Marius said. He cleared his throat. "Never mind then."

"Finally there's Koan Crimson," Ayame said. She moved to point at the last unfamiliar member. "He spun quite a tale about how he got here. Not quite sure how much of it is true and how much he just made up."

Marius looked towards the specified wizard, seeing a young man chatting with Kayden over by the bar. He frowned, sensing a strange mixture of magic in him.

Koan's hair was red and a little spiky. His eyes were yellow in color. He was a bit muscular and athletic. He had on a pair of black pants, a red belt with a yellow buckle, an orange straitjacket, the sleeve of which was torn out to make it look like a t-shirt, and black leather gloves with a red spike on it. His shoes were black on the bottom and yellow on the top along with dark red lines. Lastly, he was wearing a red fur cape

Despite his unusual dress, he seemed to be getting along with Kayden. His expression was very cheerful, and he must've been telling some good jokes because Kay was laughing pretty hard. On top of that he was drinking from a juice box for some reason. Marius got a strange vibe from him.

"We sure he didn't escape from an asylum?" Marius asked.

Ayame shrugged. "Not that I know of."

Marius noticed a final man standing near the door. He smiled. "Ah, so I see Danghoul returned from his job then."

Ayame nodded. "A complete success as usual."

Danghoul had joined them a few months back. Aside from Ayame and himself, he was arguably the strongest wizard in Angel Wing. He had long black hair. Silver eyes. Was about 6'2. Also lean and muscular, slightly pale, and had large scar running diagonally across his back.

He was wearing a black tank top, gray overcoat always unbuttoned with a shoulder guard over the left shoulder. Jeans, a black belt with a skull on the front. Black Combat boots. He also had a scythe strapped to his back.

As usual he didn't interact much, if at all with the rest of the Guild. Not due to personal malice, he just didn't seem to do well around people. He noticed Marius and nodded in acknowledgment.

Marius returned his attention over to Ayame. "Aside from the new members. Anything happen while I was gone?" he asked.

Ayame reached into her coat, pulling out a letter. "Five days ago the Grand Magic Archive in Murdock was attacked by Crimson Sphinx. Julie's team defused the situation."

"Julie has a team?" Marius asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"She does now," Ayame answered. She cleared her throat. "Anyway they took care of everything, and they turned in this report. For whatever reason, they told me not to read it."

Marius shrugged. "Alright then." He took the paper and unfolded it. He scanned the hall as he did. "By the way, where's Petra at?"

Ayame glowered at nothing in particular. "She's out talking to Sora."

"Really? He's back in town?" Marius asked. That boy was the same one that collapsed in front of him years ago. He'd brought him to Holy Seraph of course. They fed him and treated him well but despite that Sora didn't join. He visited Draycott every now and then, usually to visit Petra and himself.

Ayame crossed her arms. "He is," she flatly.

Marius shook his head. "Try and learn to tolerate him." He continued reading the report. At first it all seemed trivial. The team came, met with Jacot, defeated Crimson Sphinx's master. But then came a reference to one specific name, one he'd hoped never to hear of again, Matsudo.

.

Meanwhile…

.

The streets of Draycott were crowded as always. Merchants from all over eastern Fiore gathered in the city to sell their goods to travelers. Though recently travel to the city has grown dangerous, merchants and tourists alike have been attacked during the journey over.

Regardless the city of Draycott remains the lifeblood of the east, and a valuable economic center for all of Fiore.

Petra dodged her way through the busy streets, making her way towards the beach where she was supposed to meet Sora. It wouldn't be that hard to find him. After all how many other boys had fox tails?

She quickly spotted him crouching down behind some barrels, facing away from her and in the direction of the beach. She smiled and hurried over to him.

Sora was the same age as her, only a few months younger. His hair was autumn brown with a white streak that made them look like a pair of fox ears. He was a mere inch shorter than her at 5'4 and though somewhat athletic, was not so buff. Strangely, he had a ginger fox tail with a gold tip at the end. Why? She didn't know, but it was cool!

He wore an orange vest on top of a black skin-tight undershirt, tan short-pants bound at his knees, a red sash tied across his waist and a pair of blue fingerless gloves. For some reason refused to wear anything on his feet, preferring to go barefoot everywhere.

Petra stopped behind him. He still failed to notice her, his attention seemed to be fixed on something different. She knelt down next to him and followed his gaze over to a group of swimsuit clad girls playing beach ball. She frowned in confusion. "What's so interesting about beach ball?"

Sora jumped to his feet, retreating a few steps. "Ah! Petra! When did you get here?" he asked, his voice shaky. His right eye was green while the left was red.

Petra looked up at him, blinking a few times. "Twenty seconds or so."

"Uhh." Sora glanced at the girls, than back at his friend. "I swear I wasn't-"

Petra cocked her head. "Wasn't what?" she asked innocently.

Sora regained his composure. "Nothing, just, looked like an interesting game." Anyone else would've been able to see through such a ridiculous lie. But not Petra.

She stood up and shrugged, perking back up after a moment of silence. "I'm glad you're back in town! How long are you staying this time?"

Sora smiled himself, he had a rather adorable fang. "It's good to be back." The two began walking towards a nearby drink stand. "Well that's just it, I've been thinking about joining Angel Wing."

Petra folded her hands behind her back. "Really? I thought you wanted to explore the world a little more? Then again Angel Wing is the best Guild ever."

Sora scratched the back of his head. "I bet. I've started to get tired of wandering around. So, do you think Marius will let me join?"

"Of course," Petra said. She set a hand on her chin. "At least I assume so, a guy wearing a torn up straight jacket just joined five days ago."

"Seriously?" Sora asked.

Petra nodded. "We have no idea what his story is, but it must be pretty interesting."

Sora stepped next to a wooden bench. He cleared his throat. "So, do you think that I should join Angel Wing?" he asked.

Petra's grin widened. "Yeah, you should! We'd all be glad to have you."

Sora seemed unusually happy at those words. "Well, then you convinced me. I'm going to join the Guild," he decided.

"That's great!" Petra exclaimed. She was being rather loud, but the good people of Draycott were quite used to her by then, and, therefore, paid them no heed.

Sora glanced at the bench. "I'll go get us some drinks. You stay here." He started sauntering towards the drink stand.

Petra nodded, sitting down on the bench. She watched him step up to order. He must've been really shy because the whole time his eyes were focused on the lady's chest instead of her face.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. Suddenly she felt a cold hand grab onto her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up.

A man clad in all red stood at her side, hand on her shoulder. "Petra Smoak is it? Master would like to have a word with you."

Petra jerked her arm free and stood up. "Sorry, but I really have to go now." She took a few steps forward, colliding with another man dressed similarly. She retreated a step, checking each direction.

Four men in total surrounded her. Each wearing the same outfit but in different colors. "We'll ask you again, come with us," the first man said.

Petra spun around, manipulating the sand around her. "Sandstorm!" She formed up a wall of the powder around her before unleashing it in every direction, hoping to knock the men off their feet.

Each of them lifted their hands. "Windblast," they all said in unison. Air discharged from their hands, blowing Petra's sand back at her. The pedestrians all ran away in fear, a few guards moved in but found themselves taken down by more wind spells.

Petra bent down and coughed several times. She brushed the sand out of her eyes and opened them. Only to be dealt a blow to her stomach that knocked her onto her stomach.

"Nice try, our master knows your magic. That's why he sent four sky wizards to take you down," one of the attackers said.

"Petra!"

Two of the four looked to see Sora charging straight at them. One raised his hand. "Windblast." Air discharged from his hand again.

Sora dove to the side to dodge. He glared at them. "Stay away from her!" The tips of his fingers sprouted sharp claws. "Raptor claws!" he yelled as he sprang onto the nearest wizard, slashing at his neck.

.

Meanwhile…

.

Diana sighed, trying to blot out the sound of the ever so talkative Kayden. Really she didn't mind the girl at all. She just wished she'd leave her alone. Really, who cared what she thought of a bunch of mythical creatures. They didn't exist anyway.

Kayden herself now wore her everyday clothes. A dark gray, elbow-length shirt with fitted sleeves and dark navy jeans. She had a pair of white sunglasses positioned on the top of her head and LacrimaPod earphones dangling from out of her pocket. She also wore green sneakers and a light green scarf around her neck.

During one of the talker's brief moments of silence Diana spoke. "Look, you seem a nice girl and all. But could you please leave me alone?" she begged.

Kayden frowned. "If you didn't want to talk to me why didn't you just say so?"

Diana's eye twitched. "Because you didn't give me a chance!"

Across the room, a similar scene was occurring. Javael stood in the corner minding his own business. When Koan came prancing up.

"Hey, what are you doing over here? Is there something in the corner?" Koan asked, trying to peer around the hoodie-clad wizard.

Javael stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down. "Uh, hello. There's nothing in the corner, I'm just very good in crowds."

Koan clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back. "Huh? You're not in what? Speak up!"

Javael cleared his throats. "I said I'm not very good in crowds," he said a bit louder. He shook his head.

"Ah! Well don't worry I'm not a crowd," Koan said proudly. He held out his hand. "Koan Crimson."

Javael slowly reached out and shook his hand. "Javael."

"Jeveel?" Koan repeated.

"No, no, _Javael_."

"Javaal? Javeal?" Koan frowned. "That's too hard, I'll just call you Jav."

Javael sighed. "Why not."

Meanwhile at a table near the center of the room Marcus was having a conversation of his own with Raik. Emma had gone to show off her keys to Diana, who seemed a tad less irritable around her.

Marcus raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Phoenix slayer? Didn't know that was a thing."

Raik laughed. "Well it is, you're looking at the one and only Cosmic Phoenix slayer." He pointed at himself with his thumb.

Marcus folded his hands and set them on the table. "Really? Well, I happen to be a dragon slayer."

This time, Raik became invested. "You don't say? Which element are you?"

"Ice," Marcus replied. Cold mists gathered around his hands. "One of these days we should square off, figure out who's the superior slayer," he suggested.

Milky-way energy surfaced on Raik's palm. "Ah, but I'm afraid Phoenix slaying is a step above dragon slaying."

"I'd like to put that theory to the test," Marcus said calmly. Before the two could set a time and date of their match they were interrupted. The doors to the Guildhall opened, and a Draycott guard stepped inside.

Marius sighed. "Oh great." He stood up and faced his Guild. "Is there anything I should know about?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I swear it wasn't me!" Koan exclaimed.

"Uh huh," Ayame said doubtfully.

The sergeant cleared his throat. "Master Marius." He nodded in Ayame's direction. "And Petra's guardian I presume? Glad to see you're both here."

Ayame took several steps towards him. "Why? What happened to Petra?"

"Don't worry, she's okay," the sergeant assured her. "But she was jumped by for dark wizards down by Poseidon cove. One of your mage's fended them off."

Marcus frowned in confusion. "Someone returning from a job?" he guessed.

"Not sure. It was a kind with some foxtail, could summon spikes all over his body," the sergeant reported.

Ayame clenched her fist. "Diana! Marcus! Come with me!" she ordered, brushing past the guard on her way out.

Diana hopped up and followed her out without saying a word.

Marcus lingered, shooting Marius a questioning look.

Marius nodded. "Unless I say otherwise, do what she tells you," he answered. He folded his hands. An attack on Petra mere days after Julie's team thwarted one of Matsudo's plans. He had a hard time believing it was a coincidence.

.

At the beach…

.

Ayame shoved her way through the crowd. The guards had formed a perimeter around the scene, drawing many to wonder what was going on. She emerged at the front. The guards stepped aside to let her, Diana and Marcus enter.

Three dead bodies lay on the ground. Another man dressed the same as the dead was being treated by medical personal. Petra stood near the entrance to the beach with Sora at her left side. Each was uncharacteristically gloomy.

Ayame turned around. "You two. Go and get whatever information you can out of the injured one," she ordered.

Diana nodded. "Understood."

Marcus pointed at himself. "You can count on us."

Ayame quickly turned back to her charge and knelt down a bit. She set her hands on Petra's shoulders. "Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" she asked.

Petra shook her head. Aside from being covered in her own sand she seemed fine. "I'm okay, Sora saved me, but…"

Ayame glanced at the fox boy.

Sora was unharmed physically. He stared at the bodies of the three he'd killed, his eyes widened slightly. "I got angry," he whispered. "I lost all control and then…" He didn't need to go on.

Ayame inhaled. "Listen, Sora. We need to talk." Before she continued she noticed someone else working their way through the assembled civilians.

"Please, allow me." The voice made there no mistaking his identity. Marius emerged from the crowd. He strolled towards them and smiled. "Hello, Petra. Glad that you made it out unscathed. You had us worried there for a minute."

Petra put on a small smile. "Thank you, master."

Marius clapped his hands together. "Take her back to the hall and get her cleaned up."

Ayame nodded. "Understood."

.

Meanwhile…

.

Diana slapped the injured attacker. "Wake up," she hissed. She'd followed the medics to the hospital where they'd strapped the dark mage down. They'd been given permission to, speak with him.

Marcus stood behind her. He crossed his arm and put on his best scowl. "We've got something we'd like to ask about," he said in an icy cold tone.

The man groaned, his eyes opening slowly. "Where am I?"

"In the land of the living for the moment," Diana answered. She narrowed her eyes. "If you want to stay that way you'll tell me something."

"What? Hey! Who are you?" He tried to move but discovered that he'd been strapped down. "What's going on here?!"

Marcus slowly paced around him. "You attacked one of our own. We want to know why you did it." The ice wizard kept a very calm manner about him as he moved. But his eyes were filled with fury.

Diana took a step back, taking a deep breath.

"What? The Petra girl?" the mage asked. He shook his head. "I don't know why she was targeted. We were just following orders."

Diana sighed. This was almost too easy. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and turned his head towards her. "Who ordered you?"

The mage's skin grew pale. "I can't tell you! He'd kill me."

Diana raised her free hand and summoned a katana to it. "What makes you think we won't?" she asked. Of course, she was bluffing. No way they'd get away with killing him in the middle of a hospital.

Marcus formed his own sword out of ice. "Give us a name and we'll let you go."

The mage hesitated for a minute. "Okay, okay. I'll talk."

Diana lowered her weapon. "Then do it."

The mage nodded at his arm. "On my wrist. There's a Guild mark."

Marcus bent down to get a better look at it. The mark displayed the head of a beast with two horns, its mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs. "Never seen that one before," he murmured.

"Who does it belong to?" Diana asked.

"Demon Fang," the mage answered.

Marcus stiffened at the name. "Demon Fang?" he repeated. He latched onto the side of the bed and gripped till his knuckles turned white. "What do you know about them?"

"I swear I don't know anything more about them. When you join they leave you be, and whenever you're needed they send a messenger," the wizard insisted.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "And who's the messenger?"

The dark wizard shook his head. "Some guy in a suit. Called himself Matsudo."

Diana allowed her katana to disappear. She'd heard that name before. Marius had mentioned him in some old stories about Holy Seraph. She turned to Marcus, who seemed deep in thought. Why was none of her business. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Let's go. We should tell the master about this."

Marcus snapped out of it. "Yeah, right," he said quietly. He slowly stood back up and followed her out, still deep in his thoughts.

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

"And here we are, my pride and joy," Marius announced. He waved in the direction of the hall. Hard to believe anyone would be proud just by looking at it. The exterior of the Guild was simple, made entirely out of old wood.

It was one story tall with a damaged roof and only one window. The sign hung above the old doorway, faded letters spelled: Angel Wing, so smudged you could barely see the w. The area around the building was a simple grassland with a pond out back. A few trees stood here and there, but overall nothing special.

Sora almost wondered if he was looking at the wrong building entirely.

Marius laughed. "I know, not very flashy. But in the end the hall is just a building. It's the people inside it that make up the Guild." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "Now, follow me."

Sora did as asked. He went with the Guild master, about a quarter mile away from Angel Wing was another structure. This one made entirely of stone. "What's that?" he asked.

"The dormitories," Marius answered. He came up to the front door and nudged it open. "After Holy Seraph disbanded. They left these behind, a little updating and it was all functional."

Inside the building was even nicer. The halls were adorned with artwork, the floors were carpeted and even the furniture was expensive. Marius glanced behind him. "You're rather quiet."

Sora bit his lip. "I killed them," he whispered. Flashes of the battle filled his head. The expression on the men's face as they drew their last breaths. The horror of the one who lived. "I know I had to help Petra but, I lost control." He began to tremble.

Marius stopped and closed his eyes. "I know how you feel."

"You do?" Sora asked.

Marius sighed, before speaking. "Years ago there was a man in Holy Seraph, his name was Luke, son of Master Japheth. He was a friend of mine actually. Also a talented wizard, strongest in the Guild. But he had one fatal flaw, he was quick to anger and when he became angry he lost all control. When he did whoever earned his wrath suffered, sometimes even died."

Sora grew tense at his words.

"Years passed and as they did his anger became the doorway to many negative emotions. It all came to a head when one day he dabbled with dark magic," Marius continued. His voice remaining steady throughout his entire tale.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

"He was out of control, so Master Japheth sent me to take him down. During our battle, my own anger was roused and then," Marius trailed off. He opened his eyes. "I dealt Luke a mortal blow, and he died."

Sora stared at him in disbelief. "So, what did you do?" he asked.

Marius turned around. "Well for a while I did nothing. I thought of myself as a monster and tried to leave Holy Seraph. But Japheth, he stopped me. He said that he didn't blame me for what happened to his son and that I shouldn't either. There are times in life where we act rashly or lose control, but those moments, they don't define us. So don't let this define you."

Marius held out his hand and smiled. "Join Angel Wing. Let me teach you had to properly wield your magic."

Sora stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, before reaching out and shaking it. "I'd be honored."

.

Unknown location…

.

Mihara watched the Lacrima screen, which displayed an image of Diane and Marcus exiting the hospital room, clearly with new information. "Well, great job Kodama! Not only did you fail the hit, but gave them information on our Guild!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "Maybe next time you can send a guy with a map leading to our Guildhall!"

Kodama sat on a leather chair, also watching the screen. He sighed with clear annoyance. "Would you calm down? It's all under control."

Mihara snickered. "Yeah, you look like you've got things well in hand."

Kodama waved his hand. The image of the Lacrima vanished. "Matsudo already blew our cover at the Archive. Now's the time to play that to our advantage."

"Right, and how are accomplishing that exactly?" Mihara asked.

Kodama chuckled. "So far all Angel Wing knows is that Matsudo is alive, there's a New Alliance of dark guilds rising, and that we have agents everywhere. The more they spend their times tracking down lowly agents the more time we have to prepare." He leaned back in his chair. "They're just a little castle in the sand against a mighty wave. Soon to be washed away without a trace."

Mihara crossed his arms and smirked. "And without a Guild to protect it, all of eastern Fiore will be ours for the taking."


	6. First blood arc prologue

**Thank you again for the reviews. I'm glad you all like your OC's. I went back and edited the previous chapter to fix any errors that I made, namely when I managed to mess up Diane's name, which is to say, it's actually Diana... My bad.  
**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

March 15 X784

"He said the name of the Guild is Demon Fang, and that new recruits are left alone until they're contacted by a messenger named Matsudo," Diana reported. Upon returning from the hospital, she'd been brought into the back room to give a report.

Marius nodded as she spoke. His face deadly serious for once. "I see. And where's Marcus? Didn't he come back with you?"

Diana shook her head. "Marcus left after the interrogation on a walk. Sure something was bothering him, but it was none of my business."

Marius brushed a layer of dust off the file cabinet. "I see," he muttered thoughtfully. "Thank you for the report, you did a good job." By the tone of his voice, she could tell he was basically asking her to leave

Diana turned towards the door but hesitated. She glanced back at him. "You mentioned a man named Matsudo before. Any chance he's one in the same with this messenger?" she asked.

Marius faced away from her, still dusting off the cabinet. "That's what I intend to find out."

Diana nodded. She stepped out, shutting the door behind her.

Marius waited until the sound of her footsteps grew faint. He breathed in and grabbed onto the cabinet, pushing it off to the right. Underneath it was a small wooden hatch with a silver padlock keeping it shut.

He reached into his pocket, drawing out a key of similar color. He slipped it into the lock and turned it. With a satisfying click, the padlock fell off. He opened the old hatch and descended the ladder into Angel Wing's lower levels.

.

April 1 X784

.

Since team Julie defeated Crimson Sphinx, Angel Wing gained some publicity. Not much but, at least, people knew they existed now. There was even a slight decrease in dark guild activity in eastern Fiore.

Aside from that little had happened. The investigation into Demon Fang hadn't turned up anything so far, and the dark guild hadn't made any more moves against them. Things had fallen back to normal, at least as normal as things could get.

Marius sat down at his unofficial desk near the bar. Another day, another set of paperwork. Arranging for the new expansion was turning out to be a lot more work than he first thought. He took a sip of coffee, his only friend in the morning.

It was early morning in Draycott. Everyone lazed around the hall, some eating breakfast while others took jobs. Julie sat at the bar with a mug of rum in her hands, laughing, belching and doing just about everything else in her power to annoy Morrigan, who of course felt the need to scold for her lack of manners.

Marius signed his name at the bottom of the paper. He let out a breath, pushing it off to the side. He grabbed his coffee and leaned back. He heard the sound of snickering slowly spreading through the Guild. He soon saw why.

Ayame had come in. Only her blonde hair was now a bright pink in color. The scowl on her face made it look all the more ridiculous. She stopped at the other side of his desk.

"Good morning," Marius greeted. He took a sip of his coffee. "By the way your hairs pink."

Ayame put on a fake expression of surprise. "Really? I hadn't noticed!" she said sarcastically. She glowered at him. "Where's Sora."

Marius stared out the window. "Oh probably on a long-term solo mission, that is if he knows what's good for him. Which is to say, I don't know."

Ayame sighed overdramatically.

"But enough about that," Marius said dismissively. He reached into his jacket. "I've got something I need you to look into." He pulled out a job request and held it out to her.

Ayame cocked an eyebrow. Highly unusual for him to send her out. She took the request from him. "This about the investigation into Demon Fang?"

Marius nodded. His folded his arms behind his head. "A little bird told me that Demon Fang ran some sort of magic asylum in the northern mountains. I need you to investigate whatever's left of it. See if you can find anything that'll give us hints as to what they're up to."

Ayame folded the job and slipped it into her pocket. "I'll take care of everything. But who told you about this?"

Marius smirked. "One of our newbies." He sat up and grabbed his pen. "If the asylum confirms his story, then we have a valuable asset in our fight against Demon Fang. If not…"

"I understand. I'll be back soon," Ayame said. She progressed out the front door, vanishing from sight.

Marius sighed. There were some days he questioned whether he really knew what he was doing. If he didn't, they'd be pulverized when Demon Fang made its move.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Guild, behind the bar, several members were all busy making breakfast for themselves. With no designated chef, Marius allowed everyone to make their own meals. Of course, this could backfire.

Diana coughed several times, waving the smoke away from her face. For some reason, this always happened whenever she used a stove. Everyone else just made it look so easy. She turned around, scraping the eggs off the bottom of the pan, and onto her plate.

A few watched her cook, mystified at how she managed to screw up such a simple meal. It was a truly memorizing scene. Diana tossed some slightly burned bacon onto the plate and exhaled. It'd have to do.

A cat sat on the counter next to her, licking her paw as the girl prepared her meal. One of Diana's celestial spirits, a cat she called Midnight. One with black fur and red eyes. It took little power to summon her so she kept her around as a pet.

Diana reached out and pet the feline with one hand.

"Hey, Diana!"

Diana glanced in the direction of the voice, finding the source of it to be Marcus' little sister Emma. Over the weeks, she'd started to take a bit of a liking to the younger celestial mage. Sure she talked a lot but at least, she knew not to overdo it around her.

Emma stood at the other side of the bar. She was so short everything beneath her shoulders was hidden. She hopped onto a barstool. "What are you eating?" she asked.

Diana shrugged. "Eggs," she replied dully. She also took a seat at the bar. "Aren't you eating anything?"

Midnight sprang onto her lap and curled up, purring softly.

Emma frowned in the direction of the wall. "Marcus is getting it for me."

"What's wrong with that?" Diana asked, stroking her cats fur with one hand.

"He's going to fill with it all sorts of sour foods, and I hate sour foods," Emma groaned.

Diana hesitated to continue the conversation. She stabbed her bacon a few times. "I'm, sure he just wants you to make sure you eat well."

Emma looked at her incredulously. "Have you met my brother?"

"Briefly," Diana answered.

"That was rhetorical."

"Whatever."

Emma sighed. She eyed the eggs again. "Mind if I have one bite?"

Diana stopped short of taking a bite. She slid the plate over. "Knock yourself out."

Several yards to the right Marcus was busy preparing his own plate. Julie sat at the bar across from him, a cup of rum in her hands. "And then I sent the hammer flying straight into his stomach!" she said proudly.

Marcus nodded, paying only half attention. "Uh huh."

"Heh, and then I tricked him into stabbing the wall so his sword got stuck!" Julie continued. She absently looked off to her left.

"Good for you," Marcus said halfheartedly. He finished preparing the two plates and picked them up.

Julie downed a good portion of her mug. "Ah! That's the stuff." She set it down and smiled.

"How can you stay sober when all you do is drink?" Marcus asked.

"Ah please, I served stronger stuff then this all the time on my ship," Julie said dismissively. She refilled her mug. Her grip still steady despite it being her second glass in one morning.

"Your ship?"

Julie nodded. "Captain of the Silver thorn pirates!" she said cheerfully.

Marcus just stared.

"Don't look at me like that, not like we raided anyone! We were just searching for treasure," Julie explained. She leaned back, setting on hand on her hip. "I dare say we were pretty good at it too."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "So what happened?"

"I got bored," Julie replied. She took another long sip from her cup, some of the liquid poured out of her mouth and dripped onto her lap. "Saw a couple of Guild wizards fighting and I got hooked. Figured joining Angel Wing would be more interesting than wandering around the seas in search of some old treasure."

"Well, that explains a lot," Marcus said. He picked up his two plates.

Julie frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing."

Julie rolled her eyes. She noticed something to her left and squint.

Marcus followed her gaze, leading him to spot Diana and Emma having a chat nearby. At one point Emma took the older girls plate and prepared to take a bite.

"Okay, if you love your sister at all you'll stop her before she takes that bite," Julie stated seriously.

Marcus smirked. "Oh c'mon, how bad can it be?"

"Are you kidding? Dude, Diana is literally the worst chef in all of earthland!" Julie exclaimed. She shuddered involuntarily. "I ate her curry once, almost threw up on the spot."

"Says more about the food then the chef doesn't it?" Marcus asked dryly.

"No really!" Julie insisted.

Emma took a bite of the eggs. She showed no visible signs of disgust.

Marcus waved at her. "See, it's fine."

Suddenly Emma fell off the back of her stool and gagged.

Julie gave him a smug look. "You were saying?"

Marcus sighed. He walked over with very little urgency, kneeling down in front of his sister. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Emma sat up and groaned. "That's the worst thing I've ever tasted."

Diana frowned at them, slightly offended. "It's not that bad." She took a bite herself and instantly regretting doing so. She forced herself to smile, hiding her disgust. "See, tastes fine," she lied. Hey, she might be a terrible cook but she had her pride.

"I think I've finally found something I hate more than sour foods," Emma continued, undaunted by the older girl's protests.

Marcus smirked. "Well, that makes this less awkward." He held out the plate he got for her, filled with yogurt and citrus fruit.

"What? Nooo! I take it back!" Emma whined.

While that scene unfolded the door to Angel Wing opened and Sora peeked inside. He slowly scanned the room, satisfied that he didn't see Ayame, he stepped in. He made a dash towards the bar, vaulting over it and sliding to a stop in front of the pantry.

Sora opened the doors wide and licked his lips. He started gathering up armfuls of food until he had enough to feed a small army.

Javael watched him from his normal spot in the corner. "Quite a bit of food you got there," he said quietly.

Sora turned around and grinned. "Oh please, I'm eating light today."

Javael stared at the food doubtfully.

"How on earthland do you manage to stay so thin?" Kayden wondered. It wasn't fair, she had to go on diet's and yet he could eat whatever he wanted!

Sora sat down at a table, rubbing his hands together. "I don't know what you mean," he said with a shrug. Without a moment more of delay, he began to scarf down his collected food. He finished half of it in a mere twenty seconds.

Kayden and Javael just stared at him, not knowing what to think.

"You know half the Guild has even eaten yet right?" Marius called from across the room.

Sora took a rather large bite out of a loaf of bread. "Don't worry, I'll make sure I leave some for them," he assured him.

"Sure you will," Marius murmured. He noticed a familiar wizard eating at a table. He stood up and waved him over. "Danghoul! I need to speak with you."

The wizard rose to his feet and walked over to him. He held a plate of pancakes in his hands but hadn't touched any of it yet. He said nothing, instead waiting for him to continue.

Marius leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "I've got a job for you."

Danghoul raised an eyebrow.

"It's a simple job really. A warlord named Sunada has been harassing a town near the northern shore. He's there with about fifty of his men, their nothing special, not for a wizard of your caliber at least," Marius said. He strolled over to the job request board and plucked the specified request from it.

Danghoul followed him. "Why send me?"

Marius nodded towards the doorway.

Koan pranced inside. A wide grin on his face. He made a beeline over to Morrigan, one of the only members he hadn't introduced himself to yet. He came to a stop and jumped right into a conversation with her.

Morrigan watched him cautiously, a bit suspicious of the ripped straight jacket.

"What about him?" Danghoul asked.

Marius smiled. "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't think he's a traitor or criminal. And he told me all about his story." Just as quickly as it came his smile vanished. "But according to him, he has an alter ego, it's what has me concerned."

Danghoul glanced at them from the corner of his eye. "How will me taking this mission help with that?"

"I need you to take him with you on this mission, find out whether or not he has control over this alternate ego of his," Marius explained.

"And if he doesn't?" For some reason, Danghoul still hadn't touched his food.

Marius closed his eyes. "Then we'll have to find a way to cure it." He opened his eyes again.

Danghoul now held an empty plate. "Understood."

Marius stared at the plate. "Wait a minute, what happened to your food?"

Danghoul set down the dish and walked off.

Marius glanced at the wizard, then the plate, then back. He shook his head. He'd get used to them all eventually, he hoped.


	7. First Blood arc begins

**Thank you once again for the reviews. I'm glad that you're all liking the story so far. I got a serious case of writers block with this chapter, which is why it took me a bit longer to update.**

 **Also, I got a review from a guest that said the following.**

 **'I am loving your stories, but I feel like the characters on team Julie aren't getting the attention they deserve. Especially Arthur, he seem like a character that has the potential to play a major role in the story.'**

 **I can see why you'd think that. But since team Julie just got an arc all to themselves, I decided to give the new OC's some time in the sun. They'll be in the story more now that I've introduced all the other OC's. And as for Arthur? He was submitted with an incomplete profile, and what was filled wasn't all that detailed. Which makes him hard to write about. So unless I or Joe decide to fill out the complete form, Arthur will have to remain more of a background character.**

 **Also I've accepted three more OC's.**

 **For Angel Wing.**

 **KingKatsu's Zion Fox  
Deadman0317's Zurdun Rockbreaker**

 **And for Demon Fang  
Deadman0317's Kadir Yasha**

April 4 X784

Danghoul strolled down the forest path, his gaze fixed ahead. There were no trains leading to the town of Rara, so they had to go on foot. He pondered the master's words. Find out about this alternate ego, a simple mission really. But Marius really couldn't have picked anyone worse for the job.  
He just didn't do well around people. He didn't even talk if he could avoid it. Really he hadn't the foggiest idea of where to begin on determining if someone's alternate ego was a threat. They'd been walking for three days already and had very little conversation.  
Koan himself seemed harmless enough though he was a little weird. Like the time, he found a coconut laying on the street, picked it up and said. "I always wanted to shave a coconut." Before promptly dropping it on the ground and walking off.  
If this was sane for him he shuddered to think about what his alternate ego must be like. He had a feeling that one way or another he'd be finding out on this mission.  
Koan turned to face him, now walking backward. "You don't talk very much do you?"  
Danghoul kept his gaze fixed ahead, "Is that a problem?"  
Koan shook his head. "Nah it's cool, some people don't know when to shut up."  
Danghoul didn't reply to that. He just kept walking in the same direction. Out in the distance, he vaguely made out the shape of a town on a hill. It was a quaint looking place, houses were all made of wood and several farms dotted the area around them. Aside from that, no signs of other civilization could be seen.  
"You know, you're kind of grim looking," Koan commented, still walking backward.  
"I'm what?" Danghoul asked.  
"Grim," Koan repeated. He turned back around and kept walking. "Hmm, Grim," he pondered.  
Danghoul got a feeling that was his new nickname.

Meanwhile at the Guildhall…

Things were a little on the slow side in the hall. Job requests had mysteriously started to go down. Whatever jobs were given were quickly taken, leaving only a few standard jobs left on the board. It was about evening at the hall. The members were all either returning from missions or were doing some drinking and socializing before turning it for the night.  
Julie stepped inside the hall, letting out a loud sigh. Since she got a team jobs had been a lot more fun, but also a lot more annoying. "Okay, let's all agree never to take a request like that again." They'd just spent three hours catching magic rodents in a hot warehouse.  
"Excellent suggestion," Raik complimented. He'd been entirely unfazed throughout the entire event so she wasn't sure what he was complaining about. "We should heed your council next time." He'd changed into his casual clothing, consisting of simple blue jeans with brown Jesus sandals and a gray V-neck T-shirt.  
Kayden followed him inside, rubbing her forehead. "Okay, that, was a nightmare."  
Morrigan shrugged. "Wasn't that bad."  
Kayden glared at her. "You got hot and started to strip down in the middle of the warehouse. Don't you have any modesty?"  
Morrigan looked up at the ceiling. "I've never understood that concept," she mused.  
Arthur came in last, closing the door behind them. He huffed. "At least, we got money for rent," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.  
Raik strolled into the kitchen and started to prepare himself a peach crumble, the fourth one in a week. Half of the Guild all gave him weird looks, but his team was unfazed. They'd all grown used to him making a peach crumble every other day.  
Morrigan sat down on the other side of the bar. She eyed the job request board. "Not many jobs coming in lately."  
Kayden walked over to the board, before promptly walking back. "Maybe there just haven't been any issues lately?" she guessed, sitting down next to the slayer.  
Arthur smirked. "In eastern Fiore? Right," he said, rolling his eyes. The entire area had been infested by dark guilds ever since Holy Seraph disbanded. "It's more likely that the delivery guy was jumped by bandits."  
Julie squint at an unfamiliar man at the bar. "Hey, any of you guys seen him before?" She pointed at the stranger.  
The man towered at the height of 7'1 and had white eyes. He had a muscular build and a tattoo of a black dragon on his right arm. He held a mug of beer in his left hand. He had a serious expression on his face.  
"Never seen him before my good lady," Raik replied. He inhaled. "Though I recognize his scent. So he must've been out on a job."  
Julie sat down on the counter. "Well, should we go and introduce ourselves?"  
Kayden hopped to her feet. "I'll do it," she said excitedly. She hurried over to the stranger and started to talk.  
Julie looked at the rest of her team questionably. "Are there any other members we haven't met yet?"  
Raik set a hand on his chin. "I believe Marius mentioned that another God slayer was in the Guild. Apparently he was around even before good lady Diana joined."  
Morrigan turned around to get a better look at him. "Really?" she asked, rare surprise showing on her face. "Did he say anything else about him?"  
Raik closed his eyes, reopening them a second later. "Ah yes, now I remember. His name was Zion Fox. According to the master, he's a talented wizard. Not as talented as you though I'm sure," he complimented.  
"Not interested," Morrigan said harshly.  
"In what?" Raik asked.  
Kayden returned at that moment, sulking like a child.  
Arthur smirked. "Didn't go well?"  
Kayden glared at the boy. "Of course it didn't!"  
Julie laughed, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Well, what did you find out?"  
Kayden sighed, crossing her arms. "His names Zurdun Rockbreaker. He was serious throughout our entire conversation and seems to be another lone wolf." She groaned overdramatically. "Why does this Guild attract so many loners!"  
Julie removed her hand and studied Zurdun, he still held a mug of beer in his hand. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of her own. "He was really serious the whole time?" she asked.  
Kayden nodded. "Yeah, he was. Why?"  
Julie filled the cup with rum, grinning at her team. "Watch and learn kiddies." She sauntered over to Zurdun, taking a seat next to him.  
"What is she doing?" Morrigan wondered.  
Arthur just shrugged.  
Raik turned around to fetch more ingredients, causing him to come face to face with Marcus as he roamed around the kitchen. "Good evening," Raik greeted.  
Marcus nodded in response. "What are you doing in the kitchen?"  
Raik grabbed what he needed and turned back around. "Oh just making myself a peach crumble. And you?" The way he asked the question, it almost sounded more like a challenge. One that the dragon slayer apparently accepted.  
Marcus smirked and pointed at himself. "Marius got sick of Diana almost burning down the kitchen, so he made me the chef, in exchange I don't have to pay rent."  
"I see, it's good that you got some help with that," Raik said. He finished preparing his snack.  
Marcus narrowed his eyes just a bit. He glanced at the rest of team Julie. "Kind of like how you need a team to help pay yours?"  
"Are you two going to fight yet?" Emma suddenly asked.  
Both slayers gave her confused stares. "Pardon me miss?" Raik asked. He folded his hands behind him. "Do you have some wisdom to share with us? We would all benefit greatly if such is the case."  
Emma blinked at him.  
Marcus glared at him. "Dude, back off."  
Emma sat down on a stool and sat up straight. "You two clearly want to duke it out. So you should do it, I've always wanted to see two slayers fight."  
Kayden raised her hand. "I'm with her, besides if I have to keep watching you two exchange subtle insults, I'm going to go insane."  
Marcus shook his head. "You guys really need to learn when to butt out." He sighed, considering their suggestion for a minute. "But still, I think we can arrange a match."  
Raik took a bite of his meal. "Tomorrow at noon then?"  
Marcus nodded. "Agreed."  
Raik sat down with his team again. He glanced over at Julie. "Well, seems like she got Zurdun to open up after all."  
"Huh?" Kayden asked, following his gaze over to the pair.  
Julie and Zurdun alike were both laughing now. Zurdun refilling his cup with a shaky hand. "And that's the point where I punched him straight in the jaw!" he said loudly. He took a long sip of his drink.  
"Looks like he's drunk," Morrigan said, crossing her arms.  
Arthur rolled his eyes. "That's what we get for sending Julie over."  
Julie stood up and returned to their side, a grin fixed on her face. "Mission accomplished!" She gave them a thumbs up.  
"How the heck did you get him drunk?" Arthur asked suspiciously.  
Julie sat down and refilled her own cup. "Simple, I said I could hold my liquor better than he could. He doubted me so I challenged him to switch glasses with me. As expected, the rum was a little too strong for him," she said proudly.  
Morrigan made a mental note to avoid drinking what Julie gave to her. "How did you know that would work?"  
Julie set a hand on her stomach. "Ha! Doesn't matter if he has an iron liver, there's no way in earthland he can outdrink a pirate."  
"What are you all lazing around for! Let's _rock_ this joint!" Zurdun yelled, holding his cup overhead.  
"Did I mention he's an earth wizard?" Julie asked.

At the boy's dormitory…

Sora hurried down the hallway, his eyes glued to a magazine. The cover of which displayed a half-naked lady in a provocative pose. He was so preoccupied drooling at the picture, however, that he ran into Javael as he walked around the corner.  
Javael took a couple steps backward to balance himself. "Sorry about that, I didn't see you coming."  
Sora caught himself before he fell, scratching the back of his head. "Don't worry about it." He looked at his hands only to find them empty. He started scanning the floor. "Oh, crap."  
"What is it?" Javael asked. He too started to look around. "Did you drop something?"  
"Huh? Oh no! I mean, nothing to concern yourself with. I'll find it myself," Sora insisted. He felt himself starting to sweat a bit.  
Javael frowned. He squinted at him. "Did you steal another one of Morrigan's novels?"  
"Pfft, of course not!" Sora said. He averted his gaze and mumbled. "It was one of her magazines."  
"What?"  
"Nothing."  
Javael shrugged. "If you say so." He looked behind him. "It's got to be around here somewhere."  
Sora noticed his magazine laying in front of the door leading to his room. He ran over and snatched it up. "Found it!"  
"Really?" Javael asked. He peered over the shorter boy's shoulder. "What exactly is it anyways?"  
Sora whirled around to face him. He hid the magazine behind him. "Nothing!" He took a step back, feeling around for the doorknob. "Just, the local news."  
Javael rolled his eyes. "Oh is that a fact?" He held out his hand. "In that case mind if I take a look at it. I heard there's a story about Angel Wing on the fifth page."  
Sora found the knob and turned it. "Sorry but I need it, bye!" he said quickly, he opened the door and slipped inside before the older mage could even react. He sighed in relief. That was a close one.  
He crawled underneath his bed. Reaching out he flipped on a light Lacrima, illuminating his impressive stash of porn. He opened up his new magazine to the first page.

In northern Fiore…

The city of Whitehorn: located at the base of the majestic northern mountains. They have a small population of only 7,000. Both the streets and buildings are all made of stone. Isolated from the rest of Fiore, Whitehorn relies on mountain resorts to attract visitors.  
Ayame stared up at the looming mountains. Somewhere in there, the ruins of a Demon Fang asylum were located. She checked the horizon, seeing that the sun had almost set. She sighed. Seems she'd be searching in the dark.  
A civilian brushed by her. She almost slipped on the ice but regained her balance at the last second. She instinctively checked her pocket, finding that her money was gone. She gritted her teeth. A pickpocket got the jump on her? She must be losing her edge.  
She turned around to find the man she'd just bumped into. Only to find herself standing face to face with a familiar man. "Zion," she greeted coolly.  
A nineteen-year-old stood across from her. He stood at the height 6'7 with short and spiky blood red hair. His eyes were almond shaped and the same color as his hair. He was an extremely muscular individual with a high amount of body fat. He wore an army-style jacket, a white tank top, beige cargo pants and combat boots. He had on three winter jackets due to his hatred for the cold. He held out her missing funds, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, old habits die hard."  
Ayame snatched it back from him. "What are you doing out here?"  
Zion crossed his arms. "I'll have you know that I'm here on a mission."  
"Uh huh," Ayame said doubtfully. "You willingly took a job in the cold winter mountains?"  
Zion sighed. "It was the only job on the board."  
Ayame rolled her eyes. "Regardless, it's lucky I ran into you." She turned her back on him. "Marius sent me to investigate a possible Demon Fang location in the mountains. They should be abandoned but in case they're not, I could use an extra set of hands."  
"Do I have a choice?" Zion asked.  
Ayame nodded. "Yes, you do. You can go home knowing you may have allowed a comrade to walk to her death, or you can come with me and play a part in the downfall of our worst enemy," she answered.  
Zion laughed. "I'll take that as a no." He walked up to her side.  
The two stared at the mountains, neither making a move. Ayame finally breathed in. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. She took her first step towards the mountains, where the master of Demon Fang waited.


	8. Angel Wing Christmas special

**Thank you again for the reviews. I edited the last chapter to fix any errors that I made. I also accepted three more OC submissions.**

 **For Angel Wing  
XTalia's Kyouko Naru**

 **And for Demon Fang  
klbubblepop786's** **Akita Beaus  
Sergeant Major. Stalker's Alderic Notre Viktoriya**

 **Anyways the following chapter occurred when I sat down and started writing whatever came to mind. As a result this chapter may suffer from lack of focus, and will focus mainly on the characters I did get ideas for. Next chapter I'll go back in time to the First Blood arc. Where I'll introduce the Demon Fang OC's. Merry Christmas!**

December 23 X784

It was Christmas time in Draycott, snow sprinkled on the city, covering it in a thick blanket of snow. Down at the Angel Wing Guildhall, they'd decorated for the holiday.  
All around the city people were merry. Even the dark guilds seemed to take a holiday, crime had gone down for the month. Closer members of the Guild had all bought each other presents and put them under the tree, hoping to exchange them on Christmas Eve before everyone left for home the next day.  
Diana sat down in her normal spot in the corner, strumming her electric guitar. It wasn't plugged into anything so the sound it made was rather unsatisfying. But it kept her occupied.  
The door to the hall opened again, letting it yet another blast of cold air. This time, Marcus and Emma stepped inside. The former was unaffected by the cold due to his magic, and, therefore, wore his regular outfit. Emma meanwhile wore a thick brown jacket with white fur at the collar.  
She carried a large present in her arms, complete with a red ribbon. She carried it over and set it down in front of the tree.  
Diana shrugged, returning to her guitar. She never really got involved with the whole presents thing. In fact, she told everyone not to buy her anything, that way she didn't have to get involved at all. She slowed down her strumming. She did remember to tell Emma, right?  
Midnight nuzzled up beside her, purring softly.  
Diana stared at the wall while absentmindedly playing the same chord over and over again. Eventually, she looked up to see Marcus staring down at her with an amused expression on his face.  
"What do you want?" Diana grumbled.  
Marcus sat down across from her. She hated it when people did that. "Don't worry, I won't stay long. Just thought I should let you know that you forgot to tell Emma about your insistence to not get a gift."  
Diana ceased her strumming completely. "I did?" she asked.  
Marcus nodded. "Afraid so. Would've told her myself but she'd already bought you something." He stood up to leave. "Sorry."  
Diana sighed, putting down her guitar. "Wait," she said hesitantly.  
Marcus stopped and glanced back at her. "Yeah?"  
Diana crossed her arms and glared at the wall, trying to appear even angrier than she really was. "What does she want?"  
Marcus snickered. "You're going to go shopping for a present."  
Diana directed her glare straight at him. "Just tell me, what she wants."  
Marcus slipped his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling. "Well let's see, she's a dancer, she loves sweet foods, she can re-quip into basic clothing, and she's always searching for more celestial keys."  
Diana put her guitar away, sighing as she did so. "Be back in an hour," she grumbled. She picked up Midnight and walked towards the door.  
On the way over Koan waved at her. "Hey, Diana guess what!"  
"I'm busy," Diana snapped, walking past him.

At the Market…

Sora sank his teeth into his steamed dumplings, devouring them with very little décor. He took the empty box and tossed it into the trash along with the last six of his orders.  
Petra stood across from him, eating her own dumplings. She had a smile fixed on her face as usual. If she was repulsed at all by his gluttony she didn't show it. The two had gone out for the last day of the Christmas festival in Draycott. Merchants, games, and shows were all over the place.  
Sora had changed into a heavy furry jacket, baggy pants, an orange scarf, a pair of gloves and a green beanie. But he still didn't wear anything on his feet. Sure they felt like they were frozen solid but that didn't mean he was going to wear shoes.  
Petra, on the other hand, wore a tan winter coat with brown snow pants and black boots. She also wore a black scarf and a pair of earmuffs.  
Sora finished his last set of his dumplings. "Ahh!" he said happily. Another delicious meal. He was lucky to live in a city with such a wide arrange of foods.  
Petra threw her own stick away. "Thanks for paying, but you didn't have to do that," she said, reaching into her pocket. "I can pay you back if you want."  
Sora shook his head and smiled at her. "Oh don't worry about that. I'm the one who invited you out here after all."  
Petra removed her hand from her pocket. "Really? Thanks," she said cheerfully. She noticed a nearby drink stand, her smile widening. "I'm going to go buy us some drinks, be back in a sec."  
Before Sora could muster a response she'd gone. He stared after her as she left, forcing his stare not to linger on her tight snow pants. The threat of certain death at the hands of Ayame still fresh in his mind.  
Petra walked up and bought a couple of drinks. But on her way back she was intercepted by a guy roughly the same age as her. One who clearly wasn't interested in making small talk.  
Sora frowned at him. What? Did he not notice her carrying two drinks? Who did he think the other one was for! He took a deep breath. Considering he was staring at every girl wearing something even remotely tight, he didn't have much room to complain.  
He calmly watched. Petra could handle this herself. The guy would make a few dumb pickup lines, Petra would notice he's flirting with her and shoo him away. Any second now. Ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, twenty-s okay when the heck was she going to chase him away?  
"Hey, Sora!"  
The fox boy noticed Kyouko approaching him. He turned and waved at her. "Hey there Kyo. What are you doing out here?"  
Kyouko smiled and looked around. "There's much to explore, so many sweets and so many stores. I couldn't resist!" She was sixteen and 5'5. She too had fox ears and a tail. Her tail had a white tip and she had white fur in her ears. Her build was a small, athletic petite body structure with C-cup bra size and Caucasian tanned skin. She'd also put on her winter gear. Which consisted of a long sleeve light faded blue collared shirt with a white collar, cuffs, and white buttons. A white pleated school girl skirt with a pair of regular stockings and white boots. A white leather jacket with furry cuffs and hood with matching scarf and gloves.  
"Well I guess-" Sora started to speak but was cut off when Kyouko enveloped him in a hug. She hugged people quite often actually. He returned the hug with some reluctance. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Petra walking back over.  
Kyouko pulled back and waved at her. "Hey Petra."  
Sora cleared his throat, distancing himself from the fox girl by a few steps. "Yeah, hey."  
Petra stopped a yard or so away from them, holding a drink in each hand. Something seemed a little off about her. She almost looked a little irritated. She wasn't pissed or anything, but she wasn't smiling either, and for her that was rare. "Hi," she said after a moments pause.  
Kyouko folded her hands behind her. "So where are you two headed? And do you mind if I come?"  
Sora hesitated to answer. Sure Kyo was a lot of fun but he kind of wanted to spend some time alone with Petra. Ayame rarely allowed that to happen. "Well…"  
"I don't know," Petra said, surprisingly reluctant.  
Kyouko's ears flattened. "You mean you don't want me to come along?"  
Petra looked horrified at the thought that she'd just hurt someone's feelings. "Huh? It's not that! Honest! We just," she trailed off.  
Kyouko glanced between the two, her ears perked back up and a grin spread across her face. "Wait, are you two on a date!" she asked eagerly.  
"Huh?" Petra and Sora said in unison.  
"Well, no," Petra said, scratching her cheek. "We're just hanging out."  
"Alone," Sora added quietly.  
Kyouko's grin widened at that. "Oh, I see." She noticed something hanging in the doorway behind them. She gave them both a light shove so they stumbled underneath it. "Merry Christmas!" With that, she turned and ran off in the direction of the nearest sweets stand.  
Sora regained her balance and frowned. "What was that about?" he wondered, turning to Petra, only to find her staring upwards. He followed her gaze up, finding that they were standing directly beneath the mistletoe.  
He gulped. "I see." He folded his hands behind him and drew an invisible line with his foot. "We don't need to, you know. It's just a stupid tradition."  
Petra took a step forward and pecked him on the cheek. She smiled again. "Now c'mon! They're going to close the stores in a few hours!"  
Sora rubbed his anointed cheek. He snapped out of it and followed her. Making a note to buy Kyo some extra sweets that year.

Elsewhere in the Market…

Diana browsed the stall in front of her. So far her search had amounted to nothing. Just about every merchant had sold all the good stuff to somebody else. Which left her wondering what in the world she should buy.  
She wore a red long-sleeved V-neck shirt under a black winter jacket with a fur hood, black ripped jeans, black biker boots, a red belt with a silver skull-shaped buckle, her keychain and black fingerless gloves. Yet she still felt cold.  
As she searched Zion walked up beside her, muttering complaints about the cold despite his jackets. He noticed her and nodded. "Hey there."  
Diana gave him a curt nod in response.  
"You going last minute shopping?" Zion asked.  
Diana nodded again before turning to leave.  
"Who are you shopping for?"  
Diana sighed. "Emma." She tried to walk away again.  
"Need some help?" Zion asked.  
Diana stopped. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't exactly well versed in the best ways to Christmas shop. She hadn't done it since she left home. "I guess," she replied halfheartedly.  
Zion laughed. "Yeah I figured. You don't seem like the shopping type." He walked up to her side. "What are you looking to get her?"  
"If I knew that would I still be out here?" Diana asked dryly.  
"Point taken," Zion said. He glanced at each stall as they passed by them. "What kind of gift are thinking of?"  
Diana shrugged. "Something basic. I don't want her to get emotional."  
Zion gestured towards one of the stores. "Alright, then get her a gift card."  
Diana looked at him questionably. "Seriously?"  
"Yeah, for when you care enough to do the very least," Zion joked.  
Diana rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so tempting," she said sarcastically.  
Zion withheld from picking the pocket of a passing merchant. "So get a gift card and some sweets. That'll be an adequate gift. If you want to do something basic that is."  
Diana thought about it. "That'll do," she decided. The walk to the sweets store was a short and uneventful time. She entered the store and began searching the shelves.  
"Hey guys!" Koan called from behind the desk. He wore his regular outfit but with an apron around his neck.  
Zion cocked an eyebrow. "What the heck are you doing?"  
"I got a job here, isn't that great?" Koan asked, setting his hands on the counter in front of him.  
Diana stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"  
Koan shook his head. "Nope. I tried to tell you earlier, but you said you were too busy."  
Diana ignored him and returned to her search.  
"Why did you get a job anyway? You don't need one," Zion pointed out.  
"Yeah but I wanted to know how normal people live," Koan answered.  
"Since when?"  
"A few days ago."  
Diana stopped her search. "Koan? Why are their only sour candies left?"  
Koan smiled. "Kyouko just cleared us out."  
Zion groaned. "How on earthland could one girl clear out an entire store?"  
Koan scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Well, I might have eaten whatever she didn't," he admitted.  
"You know you're going to get fired for that, right?" Diana asked.  
Koan fell silent. "That did not occur to me."  
Diana turned around. "Guess we're going to try the magic shop then," she decided. The moment she walked out the door she came face to face with a very drunk Zurdun as he stumbled down the streets.  
He set a hand on the nearest wall in order to balance himself. "Whoa, hey there Diana. What're you doing out here so late?" he asked, laughing heartily.  
Diana leaned against the wall. "I'm looking for the magic shop."  
"Well lucky for you, it's just a stone's throw away," Zurdun replied. He pointed with a shaky hand in the direction of the docks.  
"That's the wrong way," Diana pointed out.  
"Man you never appreciate my directions, you really shouldn't take them for granite," Zurdun complained, cracking a smile a second after.  
Zion stepped out, grinning in the earth mage's direction. "Hey there Rocky!"  
Zurdun squint as though he were standing a mile away from them. "Morning Zion!" he greeted happily, unaware that it was still evening. "For some reason, I'm seeing three of you."

Later…

"Well, that caused a delay," Diana commented. She strolled down the street that led to the magic shop.  
Zion shrugged. "Not my fault he kept wandering into the streets." He glanced at the clock tower. "Besides, we got an hour before the stores start closing. We'll reach the shop with plenty of time to spare." He cracked a smile. "Not like anything else could delay us now."  
As soon as he'd said the words a figure wearing a gray jacket, black pants and a pair of gloves jumped in front of them. He had spiky blond hair. "Aha! Fatal mistake wizards! Now you must face Master Fujimori of Crimson Sphinx!"  
Diana glanced at her companion.  
Zion held up his hands. "I swear I had no idea this was going to happen."  
"Hey! Pay attention!" Fujimori yelled.  
"I told you, no one cares about an unheard of lieutenant from a has been Guild." A second figure joined the first. She had wild, long red hair and wore a thick brown fur coat and baggy pants. She stood with her shoulders slumped.  
"Shut up Hamada," Fujimori ordered.  
"Or what? You'll kick me out of the Guild?" she asked.  
Zion sighed, his temperature starting to rise. "Guess we're going to have to fight."  
Diana held up her hand. "Don't bother. I'll take care of this." She reached down and selected a key from her chain. She held it out in front of her. "I call upon thee in the realm of the gods, pass through the gate!" The glass key began to glow. "Open! Gate of The sensual goddess of Love and Beauty! Aphrodite!" She turned the key.  
A gateway opened in front of her and Aphrodite emerged. She was a beautiful goddess with wavy brown hair and black eyes. She wore a pink Greek dress with hearts and doves on it. She set a hand on her hip and smiled seductively.  
Zion whistled. "Not bad."  
Aphrodite glanced over her shoulder. "Hello Diana, looking well as always. Have you found a boyfriend yet?"  
Zion raised an eyebrow.  
Diana sighed. "I told you, I'm not looking for a boyfriend," she insisted.  
Aphrodite looked at her innocently. "Aww, don't be mad at me Dia." She noticed Zion and grinned. She leaned closer to her wizard. "I can always make him fall in love with you if you want," she whispered.  
Diana narrowed her eyes. "Not interested."  
Aphrodite pulled back. "C'mon, any guy, north, south, east or west. Point them out and I'll make him fall in love with you."  
"Not, interested," Diana growled.  
Aphrodite pouted. "You're just like Artemis."  
Diana rubbed her forehead. She hated summoning her when she was in public. She embarrassed her every time. "Now, onto the reason, I summoned you in the first place." She pointed at Hamada and Fujimori. "Take care of them."  
Aphrodite perked back up. "With pleasure." She gathered up a pink powder in her hand and blew it at them. The cloud enveloped the two dark wizards, causing each to start coughing wildly.  
Zion watched, ready to strike at a moment's notice.  
Diana slowly started walking towards them. She didn't summon any weapons or other spirits. All she did was approach them at a slow pace.  
The pink cloud cleared. Fujimori stole a glance over at Hamada and blinked several times. "Hey, you know, you're actually kind of pretty."  
Hamada returned the glance and blushed a bit. "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself." As they complimented each other the distance between them closed until they were inches away from touching.  
Diana grabbed the back of their heads and bashed them together.  
They both went unconscious and fell onto the snow.  
Diana dusted her hands off. "Problem solved." She stepped over them and resumed her walk towards the shop.  
"Are you sure don't need-" Aphrodite started to say.  
Diana closed her gate before she could finish.  
Zion stared at the two defeated wizards. "I guess I'll turn them in then."

December 24 X784

The Guildhall was in an especially merry mood. Early morning every had come in and started exchanging gifts. As the next day most were going to be leaving for home, everyone wanted to catch up with their friends before doing so.  
Julie took a long drink from a rum bottle. "Ah! You're the best Kayden!" she called. A box full of expensive bottles sat in front of her. So strong even she was starting to feel a little buzzed.  
Kayden smiled. "No problem," she replied. She'd been given a collection of paintbrushes from Raik. "Just don't overdo it."  
"Wouldn't dream of it!"  
Meanwhile, Raik sat across from Marius at the bar, playing chess with the new board Arthur had just given him. So far he'd lost both rooks, one bishop and almost all of his pawns. While his opponent had pieces all over the board.  
Raik reached for his queen and lifted it up, only to set it back down. "hmm," he contemplated. He moved over to a knight and set his hand on it, but again removed it before making a move.  
Marius laughed. "I think I got you now."  
Raik moved his queen forward, claiming one of Marius' bishops. "Got you there."  
Marius moved his rook three spaces to the right. "Checkmate."  
Raik stared at the board. "So it is." He raised an eyebrow. "Care for another match."  
Marius nodded. "Set them up."  
Morrigan sat in the corner, a barricade of books separating her from the rest of the Guild. She'd received novels as presents from most of the Guild, most of them erotic. Her cheeks were slightly red as she got to an intense moment in the chapter.  
Those that saw her gave her strange looks, none being stupid enough to approach her while she was in the middle of a book. Arthur meanwhile was given a non-fiction novel on a group that defeated a dozen dark guilds. He opened it to the first page, he could learn from them.  
Kyouko greedily eyed her presents. Aside from a stuffed cat given to her by Petra, she'd been given an unhealthy amount of candy. She grabbed a handful and licked her lips.  
"You sure that's healthy? Eat all that I don't think you're going to have any teeth left," Zion said humorously. He wore a new winter coat, despite being indoors.  
Kyouko pouted. "I'll save some of it."  
Zurdun approached them, rubbing his throbbing head. "Uh, how much did I drink last night?" he wondered aloud.  
Zion patted him on the shoulder. "Believe me, you don't want to know."  
Across the room, Koan had immersed himself in one of his new board games. He eagerly watched his opponent move forward two squares. "Ha!" he exclaimed. "Now you got to go to jail!"  
Danghoul stared at him expressionlessly.  
Koan frowned. "Okay fine, don't go, you killjoy."  
Marcus laughed. "Somehow I don't think Grim here is all that interested in the game," he pointed out.  
Koan shrugged. "Nah, he's just keeps his opinions to himself."  
Danghoul just stared back at them.  
Marcus shook his head. If his opponent not saying anything couldn't convince him, then he wasn't even going to try. He glanced out the window, noticing Javael standing outside. He let out a sigh. For some reason, he'd been even more a loner than usual. He didn't know why but he decided to respect his privacy.  
Diana had taken refuge in her corner, strumming her guitar. She took a deep breath. She still couldn't believe that she'd actually gone last minute shopping, and all because she forgot to tell someone not to buy a present for her.  
As expected, Emma approached her, carrying a box. She set it on the table and smiled. "Hey Diana," she said cheerfully.  
"Hello Emma," Diana said routinely, still focused on her guitar.  
Midnight laid down on the table and meowed.  
Emma patiently waited for her to finish her practice before shoving her present towards her. "Open it," she said eagerly.  
Diana set her guitar aside and tore open the present. She didn't quite know what she expected from the gift, but it exceeded them. Inside she found an amplifier for her guitar. She quickly pulled it out and admired it.  
"So, do you like it?" Emma asked.  
Diana nodded. "I do. Thank you," she replied, being careful not to overdo it. The last thing she wanted was an overemotional moment. She reached into her pocket. "I didn't have time to wrap it, but here." She pulled out a silver key and tossed it to her.  
Emma snatched it up and stared at it. "Whoa," she whispered.  
Diana crossed her arms. "it's not that big of a deal. I just happened to see it and decided to purchase it," she said quickly.  
Emma smiled. "Thank you. Merry Christmas."  
Diana sighed. "Yeah, Merry Christmas," she muttered.


	9. First Blood arc part 1

**Hello again everyone, thank you for reviewing. As usual I appreciate it. Anyways, submissions are still open but there isn't much room left in Angel Wing.**

 **One more thing. I'll be giving each OC their own character arc, if you have any questions or requests about what kind of arc your OC will be going through, let me know. I think what I'll do is have the characters from Angel Wing going through the arc, while one of the OC's from Demon Fang serves as their nemesis. But I'm not sure yet.**

 **Zahhak the Warrior God: Thank you for your submission, Akasa is accepted. But I am going to change the name of her magic slightly. So instead of "Black Flame Titan" it'll just be "Flame Titan" I'm doing this because some of the spells sound a little redundant, for example. "Black Flame Titan: Black Catastrophe!" But still, nice OC. I also couldn't describe her outfit so I'll post the link here.  
**

 **Akasa Sora's outfit: art/con-Suki-s-clothes-364624492**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy.**

April 5 X784

The village of Rara hardly seemed like it'd be of interest to a warlord. The streets were all dirt, and the buildings were made of wood. Very few people walked the streets, and those that did eyed the two wizards warily

Danghoul approached the town square and looked around for their client.

Koan sniffed the air. "This place smells weird," he commented. "And who's our client anyways?"

Danghoul sighed, figures that he didn't read the request. He spotted a man wearing a suit of armor with a spear in his hand, and moved in his direction.

The man gave them a wary look as they approached. "Welcome to Rara gentleman. What brings you here?" he asked, adjusting his hold on his spear.

Danghoul showed him the back of his hand, where Angel Wing's Guild mark was imprinted in black.

Koan meanwhile lifted his shirt showing his own emblem, which was on the middle of his chest, colored white with yellow lines. "We're from Angel Wing!" he said proudly.

The man relaxed his grip. "Thank God, I didn't think any Guild would respond to our message." He set a hand on his chest. "My name is Aaron. I'm in charge of the Rara Militia."

Danghoul nodded. "I understand you're under attack."

Aaron stared out towards the horizon. Nothing but farmland could be seen for miles. Down by the river a large encampment had been set up. "Yes, the warlord Sunada has arrived in Fiore. Now for whatever reason he's threatening us!"

Koan squint at the campsite. "They don't look so tough to me."

Aaron laughed nervously. "Yes, I can't imagine they'll be a threat to two S-Class wizards like you but…"

"S-class?" Koan asked. He laughed and shook his head. "Oh no, we're not S-class."

"Pardon?" Aaron asked, growing visibly nervous.

Danghoul crossed his arms. "Are you saying that this was actually an S-class quest?" he asked, his voice icy cold.

Aaron nodded frantically. "I assumed you knew! I mean, it wasn't an S-class job at first but we sent out an update weeks ago!" he exclaimed.

Danghoul frowned. "Sunada must've found out and killed the messenger."

Koan sat down on the ground. "Who cares? You said it was an S-class quest, the way I see it the two of us easily make up one of those guys. We can still take care of these guys for you!"

Aaron turned back towards the encampment. "I appreciate that, but I don't think you have a clue what you're up against. These aren't simple barbarians, they're experienced warriors, and there's two hundred of them."

Danghoul closed his eyes. Two hundred against Koan and himself. He shook his head, not good odds. But they left the town militia wouldn't hold out very well.

"Aaron!" someone yelled

Danghoul opened his eyes, seeing another man wearing similar clothing running towards them.

The fellow stopped and panted. "There's a company of soldiers coming this way, Sunada's with them!"

Aaron grit his teeth. "Crap," he muttered. "We're not ready for this."

Danghoul turned and began to walk in the direction the messenger had come.

Koan hurried after him, grinning. "So you mean we're going to stay and beat them up anyways?" he asked eagerly.

Danghoul nodded.

"Awesome!" Koan cheered.

.

Outside the Guildhall…

.

It was time for Raik and Marcus' duel. But they didn't quite expect such a big audience. Sure they figured some of Angel Wing would tune in. But not half of the city. No really, a good two hundred people had all gathered around.

There were even a few vendors who'd set up for the day. They'd kept the training field clear so they could square off without interruption. Marius stood by the sidelines with a wad of jewel in his hands.

Marcus glared at him. "Seriously? You're selling tickets to our match?"

Marius shrugged. "Hey! I'm not exactly rolling in dough here. I'm taking any opportunity that I can get," he said defensively.

Raik chuckled. He'd changed back into his combat outfit for the match. "Well, no use protesting now." He cracked his knuckles. "Guess we'll just have to roll with it."

Marcus crouched down a bit. "If it helps the Guild, I'll shake it off."

On the sidelines where most the Guild had assembled, stood a trio of newcomers to the Guild. First there was Kyouko, a half human half fox girl. She wore her casual outfit of a black short sleeved crop top that stops an inch above her belly button. A pleated black school girl skirt with a white line drawn across the bottom, knee length white stockings with a pair of black boots. She'd joined yesterday and had already made fast friends with most of the Guild.

Next to her stood a girl one year younger than her at the age of fifteen. She had black hair, straight and layered. Reaching a few inches below the shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown. She was 5'2 and was lean, and a little muscular. She wore a gray, long-sleeved top that hangs off her shoulders and a white skirt about mid-thigh length. She also had a belt and combat boots. She always wore a white ribbon around her neck. Her name was Himura Hebi, a girl who'd joined a few weeks ago.

Finally, there was Aikasa Sora, the eldest of the three at 22. She was 5'6 with an athletic build. She had yellow eyes like a wolf and had her Guild emblem on her right shoulder blade in midnight purple. She was an A-class wizard who'd joined with them after her old Guild disbanded.

Himura frowned at her plate, which held a single piece of pizza on it. "So, you are supposed to eat this with your hands?" she asked her companions.

Kyouko nodded. "Yeah," she said hesitantly. She took her own pizza slice and bit into it, getting a little sauce on her face. "You seriously never had pizza before Hime?"

Himura shook her head. Everyone heard Marius calling her that and started to follow suit. "I am not from here," she said vaguely. She took her slice and copied what her friend did.

Aikasa laughed softly. "Don't worry you'll get the hang of it." She crossed her arms. She noticed Morrigan walking by and glared.

Morrigan returned it with equal fury as she walked past.

"What's up with you two?" Kyouko asked.

"Are you having a disagreement?" Hime asked.

Aikasa shook her head. "You two could never understand."

Kyouko's ears flattened.

Hime frowned at her, her eyes watering. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.

Aikasa blinked at them. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked awkwardly.

Marius stepped forward, standing in between the two fighters. "I placed some runes around the training field, so don't worry about hitting any audience members." He folded his hands behind him. "Aside from that, fight clean, if I see either of you cheating…"

"Understood," Raik said.

Marius stepped back and raised his arm.

Marcus and Raik both prepared themselves.

"Begin!" Marius yelled, bringing his arm down.

Marcus immediately rushed forward, drawing back his arm. "Ice Dragon claw!" He covered his hand in an icy mist and swung at his opponent.

Raik jumped out of range at the last second, sliding back a few feet. He inhaled deeply. "Cosmic Phoenix!"

Marcus clasped his hands together. "Ice-Make: Lance!" he yelled. Seven spears of ice shot out of his hands, each coming down on the other slayer.

Raik bellowed out a stream of energy. "Breath!" His attack shattered five of the inbound spears but the last two proceeded on and hit him in the chest. He grimaced but quickly recovered and sprang forward. "Cosmic Phoenix fist!" He punched the dragon slayer in the stomach.

Marcus grit his teeth, pain erupting in his stomach. He retreated a few steps, again putting his hands together. "Ice-Make: Sword strike!" He formed a sword of ice in each hand.

Raik leapt backwards and raised his hands. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" Seven stars shot from his hands at his target.

Marcus deflected the incoming stars with his swords. They cracked upon making contact with the projectiles but didn't fully break. He rushed forward and lunged at his opponent with both swords.

Raik lifted his leg. "Cosmic Phoenix." He surrounded his leg with magic. "Talon!" He brought his foot down, shattering both swords.

Marcus narrowed his eyes and brought back his arm and surrounded it in ice. "Ice Dragon! Claw!"

Raik did the same, his face as calm as ever. "Cosmic Phoenix! Wing attack!"

The two spells collided, causing a blast of cosmic energy and ice to erupt, throwing Marcus backward. He scrambled back to his feet and sucked in. "Ice Dragon Roar!" He breathed out a stream of ice.

Raik stepped out of the way just before it hit. He smirked. "Not bad dragon slayer."

Marcus nodded in return. "Same to you." He covered each of his hands in ice. "Almost sorry I'm going to end this here."

Raik raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?"

Marcus brought his hands together, combining the ice into a large compressed blizzard. "Ice Dragon Cold Fusion!" He hurled it at his opponent with all of his strength.

Raik breathed in. "Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" He hammered the incoming attack with a powerful blast of cosmic energy. He succeeded in weakening the spell but failed to stop it completely. It hit him in the chest, unleashing the blizzard on him. He winced and stumbled off to the side. He lifted his hands. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage."

Caught off guard, Marcus attempted to dodge but it was too late. Another seven stars shot from his opponent's hands and collided with his chest. He backpedaled until his back was pressed against the rune.

Raik rushed forward, surrounding his arm in more magic power. He jumped in the air. "Cosmic Phoenix Wing Attack!"

Marcus inhaled. "Ice Dragon Frozen Roar!" He unleashed another breath attack, but instead of an ice stream, this time, he bellowed out a hailstorm that hit Raik in his unprotected chest.

Raik let out a brief yell of pain. He launched his wing attack but due to the pain his aim was off and the spell passed a foot to his opponent's right. He managed to land on his feet but was off balance.

"Ice-Make: Sword Strike!" Marcus created another two swords and ran at him while he was still recovering. He lunged his first sword while pulling back the other to attack.

Raik regained his balance just in time to see the imminent danger. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He covered his right hand in magic and punched the tip of the first sword, causing the entire thing to break.

Marcus discarded it and grabbed ahold of his last sword with both hands. He grit his teeth and brought it down on Raik, stopping an inch away from his head.

The crowd all let out a cheer and Marius gestured for them both to cease. He approached them, noting their current position. He clapped along with the rest. "Well done slayers. I pity the man that has to face either one of you in combat." He laughed cheerfully.

Marcus took a step back, letting his sword disappear. He held out his hand to Raik and smirked. "Well, looks like I won this round."

Raik chuckled. "True, but it was a narrow victory." He gestured towards his left hand, which gripped one of his knives. "If I'd recovered a second earlier then the match would've ended in my favor."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Heh, what do you know."

Raik grabbed his hand and used it to pull himself up. "Here's hoping our next match is just as exciting." He let go and turned around. Despite the fact that he lost he didn't even seem fazed.

Marcus shook his head. What a weird guy. Pain still lingered in his chest, it felt like it was about to freeze over, even though he was an ice wizard it still felt cold. "So, who's the medic?" he asked.

Marius paused. "Medic?" he repeated. He snapped, a look of recognition crossing his face. "That's what I was forgetting!"

Raik sighed, sitting down near his team. "Lucky for you, we've got our own healer. Arthur? Do you mind?"

Arthur shrugged. "Sure." He summoned fire to his right hand, setting on his teammate's injury, beginning the healing process.

Morrigan glared at Raik. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd stopped being so timid and made the first move!" she scolded. That marked the beginning of a five-minute lecture on everything he did wrong over the course of the match.

Raik just nodded as she spoke without objecting.

Marcus slowly walked over, sitting down on Arthur's other side. He took it back, it wasn't just Raik, the whole team was a little weird.

.

On the outskirts of Rara…

.

Danghoul slowed his approach. Ahead he saw ten men all dressed in the Militia uniform and carrying spears. They were all pointing their weapons in the direction of a dozen warriors all wearing armor with fur coats and helmets. No doubt they were Sunada's lackey's.

He came to a stop alongside the villagers and crossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes at the warlord's men.

Koan slid to a halt next to him and pounded his fist against his palm. "Which one of you is Sunada?" he asked excitedly. "Because we're going to kick his sorry butt!"

Danghoul shook his head. You weren't supposed to announce your intention towards the guy you demanded to see.

The Militia smiled at them in relief. They retreated a few steps, letting them take the lead.

One of the soldiers stepped forward. He wore the same outfit as the rest but held a golden spear in his hands. His face was wrinkled and devoid of emotion. "Is that so?" he asked his voice as monotone as his face.

Koan nodded. "Yeah, we are!"

"Then I suppose this is your chance," the man replied. He set a hand on his chest. "I am Sunada."

Danghoul reached back, grabbing his scythe.

Another man joined Sunada. He was a short and muscular man with pale skin. He wore the same uniform except without sleeves and the hat. In his left hand, he held a golden shield with the Zentopian emblem on it in white, while in the other he carried a sword with a gold hilt and polished blade. "And who the heck are you two? Mercenaries?"

Koan shook her head. "Of course not! We're-"

"S-class wizards of Angel Wing," Danghoul finished. He narrowed his eyes. "We heard you causing Rara some trouble."

Sunada didn't react to the news. "S-class eh? Now why would two powerful S-class wizards risk themselves for a worthless farming village in the middle of nowhere?"

Koan pointed at himself. "Because it's our duty to protect the innocent from the forces of evil!" he proclaimed.

Sunada's men all burst into laughter.

Danghoul kept his stare fixed on the warlord himself. "And what do you want with such a worthless village?"

Sunada returned the stare, eventually he smirked. "You're a smart kid." He slowly turned around. "But you're out of your league. Suda!" He nodded at the other man who'd stepped forward. "Take care of them."

"Understood," Suda replied. He held his shield in front of him.

Sunada started to walk back towards his camp.

Danghoul withdrew his scythe. "I'll take Sunada."

Koan grinned, bending down a bit. "Sure thing, I'll Suda and…" He pointed at the other men. "What are all of your names?"

Suda rolled his eyes. He pointed his sword at them. "Attack!"

The soldiers all raised their weapons and charged, each yelling something in a foreign language.

Danghoul ran forward. He pointed at them with his finger. "Dark shot." He fired a bullet of shadow out of his finger, taking down the nearest man.

Two others turned on him, the closest raising a hammer overhead.

Danghoul rushed forward, taking him down with one stroke of his scythe. He pointed a finger at the second man and hit him with another bullet.

Each fell to the ground, looks of surprised pain on their face.

Koan saw six men advancing, his grin widening. "Fire Devil's Hot Slash!" He swung his arm, releasing a slash of white fire that took out all four of them in one hit.

Suda laughed. "A fire wizard eh?" He held out his sword. "Unfortunately for you, this sword has been enchanted by a wizard from our land. It can absorb fire."

Koan raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, cocking his head a bit. "Well let's see it!" He formed a long lance made out of fire and hurled it him. "Fire Devil's Hell Spear!"

Suda held out his sword, stabbing it into the tip of the spear. As he said the flames were sucked into the blade of the weapon. "See now? It's hopeless!" Suddenly the fire burst out of the sword, as though it'd been spit out.

"Ah!" Suda yelled, retreating a few steps. "How did you?"

Koan crossed his arms. "My fire is summoned from the planes of hell itself, you can't absorb them so easily." He narrowed his eyes and breathed in. "Now, Black Dragon's Roar!" He sent a torrent of darkness out of his mouth.

"What the!" Suda cowered behind his shield, which generated a shield of light that blocked the attack. "How on earthland are doing that!"

Koan set a hand on his chin. "Well in all started in an asylum…"

Danghoul closed the distance between him and the warlord.

Sunada turned around and fired an orb of light from the tip of his spear.

Danghoul stopped and held his hand out in front of him. "Shadow Guard." He formed a wall of darkness between him and his opponent. The spell slammed into it but failed to penetrate.

Sunada frowned, glancing at his spear. "I can see why you're an S-class wizard." He waved over some of his remaining men. "But we'll have to finish this tomorrow." Five men stepped in between him and the wizard.

Danghoul pointed at him and began firing more bullets, but his minions protected him with their shields.

Suda joined his master, glaring at his weapons. "These useless things aren't doing us any good!" he exclaimed.

Sunada ignored him and raised his spear overhead. It began to glow. "Light warp," he whispered, before slamming it down onto the ground, causing an even brighter flash to blind everyone present. When it let up, both the warlord and his men were gone.

Danghoul let out a breath. That could've gone better, but on the other hand, it could've easily gone worse.

Koan ran up to him, waving. "Hey! Grim!"

Danghoul put away his scythe. "Tomorrow an entire army will attack Rara." They were vastly outmatched, even if the Militia assisted them.

Koan himself seemed to grow a little anxious at that news. "Then I guess we'll just have to fight them off."

Danghoul nodded. "Let's hope that's possible."

.

In the Northern Mountains…

.

"How much farther?" Zion asked.

Ayame pulled her coat tighter around herself. A harsh blizzard lashed against them in the already cold night. She crossed her arms and increased her pace. "According to Marius, it should be right up here."

Zion sighed. "I hope his intel's good."

Ayame closed her eyes. "So do I," she muttered. She walked up the last of the hill and peered over. The snow was thick but she could make out the shape of a building not far off. "There it is, let's go." She dashed towards it.

Zion followed at twice the speed, clearly happy about being able to get out of the snow. As they drew closer the building became clearer. It was four stories tall, made with simple gray bricks. There was a large chimney on top and many windows for many different rooms. Burn marks covered the structure from the roof to the walls on the first floor.

The doors themselves had been knocked off their hinges and lay in the snow, almost buried underneath it. The two wizards cautiously entered the building. The interior was as basic as the exterior.

Everything was dark, whatever lights there used to be had been knocked out. The walls and ceiling were both bright white while the floor was brick. An unlit fireplace sat in the center of the room, with some old furniture placed around it. On the back wall, there was an open window letting in the snow.

"Real welcoming isn't it?" Zion asked jokingly. He scanned the dark room. "What exactly are we looking for?"

Ayame shrugged. "Anything, a doctor's log, Lacrima feed, anything that links this place to Demon Fang." She set her hand on the wall. "God knows we could use all the help that we can get."

.

Upstairs…

.

Kadir Yasha paced back and forth. "What's the point of this!" he suddenly exclaimed. He was a 23-year-old man, with an athletic build and height of 6'1. His hair was black, spiky and stopped at his lower neck. He wore a long black jacket that went down to his ankles with fluff at the collar, a gray shirt underneath, and black jeans. To top it all off, he had red eyes.

He stormed over to the window and banged his fist against it. "I could out there, laying waste with Sunada at this very second!" He turned around and glared. "Instead, I'm holed up in an icebox waiting for you idiots to find a stupid piece of jewelry!"

"Tsk, tsk. Wasting time complaining during a sensitive mission. That seems behavior warranting of punishment," Akita said a wicked smile on her face. She sauntered into the room, her whip dragging behind her. Light from the torches illuminated her.

She was a beautiful woman at the age of 28. She had an athletic build and was quite busty, her Guild mark was displayed over her cleavage in purple. She had long dark gray hair that was thick and curly, reaching all the way down to the back of her knees. She had a tattoo of a black snake that wrapped around her left arm from her wrist all the way to her shoulder. On her stomach, she also had three deep scars.

She simply wore her casual outfit of some sweats, but also a red scarf and pair of fuzzy boots for the winter weather. "Please Kadir, keep complaining, I'd love an excuse to punish you."

"This hardly seems like a mission that you usually get excited about," Alderic commented. He dutifully continued his search of the room. He was the youngest of the three at 18. He was well-toned, muscular, slender and agile, and 5'9. He had spiky black hair and white eyes. He was dressed in his winter attire of a black coat with fur on its neck, white gloves, black jeans, black boots and a black fedora.

Unlike his fellows, he showed no sign of discomfort at the cold. If anything, he seemed more cheerful than usual. He gave Akita a wary look. "Normally any mission that doesn't involve physical torture turns you off."

Akita licked her lips. "True, which is why the master gave me a special role."

Kadir laughed at her. "C'mon! You think I'm afraid of you? You're not even an S-class wizard like me and Alderic."

Akita walked around her. "Oh so true. But you see I've been appointed the overseer of this mission, job being to punish anyone for slacking off." She stopped in place and looked her fellow straight in the eye. "If you wish to object to the punishment you can run it by him."

Kadir scowled at her. "Just remember, this mission will only last so long." He reluctantly returned to searching.

Akita giggled, sitting down on the window ledge. She sighed happily. "Eight punishments in one day. That's a new personal record, who knew people were so susceptible to whining when it's cold out?"

Alderic shook his head. "Your obsession with torture is disturbing."

"Someone's got to keep the masses motivated," Akita answered casually.

Kadir rifled through some old drawers. "I can't believe we have to go through this crap because of Nagata's screw up."

Alderic sighed. "Calm down Kadir, as soon as the search is over you can get yourself reassigned to Mathias' and the enforcers." He checked behind a painting. "Though your obsession with death is a mystery to me."

Kadir rolled his eyes. "You picked the wrong Guild to be a boy scout frosty."

Akita cracked her whip on the ground. "Enough bickering! Keep working!" She laughed again, drunk on her temporary power.

The search continued for a few minutes uninterrupted. But soon another man stepped inside. "Well, I see that you three have been working hard," he said pleasantly.

Alderic nodded. "Yes, sir. The first three floors have almost been cleared."

Matsudo folded his hands behind him. "Very good. Word of advice, keep your men out of the control center. Master Dragon has planned a meeting to discuss this little situation." He smiled at them. "I would hate to have to hand anyone else over to Akita, or worse, Mathias."

Akita's grin widened. "Oh but I would love that."

Matsudo turned to leave but stopped short of doing so. "By the way. For some reason I can't shake the thought that Angel Wing is here in the asylum," he said in his regular voice. He set a hand on his chin and pretended to think. "And I would imagine that Dragon would greatly appreciate it if someone were to capture them." After saying those words, he strolled away.

Alderic glanced at his comrades. "Angel Wing all the way out here?"

Akita rolled her eyes. "Oh c'mon, what are the odds of them stumbling across one of our asylums?"

Kadir smirked. "You're forgetting something."

"About what?" Akita asked.

"Old subject K-C," Kadir said. He chuckled. "What if, after breaking free, he decided to join the nearest Guild."

The three fell silent after that. Alderic stood up straight. "We got guards at the stairs if their anywhere it'll be on the lower levels."

Kadir grinned. "Finally some new victims!"

Akita pouted. "Aww, but I was having so much fun."

Alderic slipped his hands into his pockets. "Help catch these spies and master might make you his permanent overseer."

Akita perked back up and hopped to her feet. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

With that the three dark wizards left for the lower levels, to find the wizards from Angel Wing.


	10. First Blood part 2

**Hello again everyone, thank you for the reviews. Demon Fang submissions are still open for the time being.**

 **Also again if you have a specific request for an OC's character arc, just fill out this basic basic form and either PM it or post it in the reviews.  
Arc name (Optional):  
Recommended other characters:  
Idea:  
**

 **Note that this is completely optional. I'll still give your character an arc if you don't send anything in. I also reserve the right to reject a request for any reason.**

 **Anyways on this chapter I introduce the last of the Angel Wing OC's as well as another for Demon Fang.**

 **Angel Wing OC's.  
Readingandgames1995's Ashley Walker  
Xxx-LunaRina-xxX's Luna O'Ryans  
ShadowSelfCyber's Silver Soul**

 **Demon Fang OC  
Readingandgames1995's Amelia Blackwood**

April 6 X784

Suda tossed his sword on the ground and spat on it. "Piece of junk didn't even work!" He shook his head. "How the heck are we supposed to defeat two S-class wizards with faulty weapons?"  
Sunada set his spear on the table in his main tent. "The weapon performed fine, the enchantments simply weren't strong enough to defeat them."  
Suda paced back and forth, muttering under his breath. "So what? We just try and overwhelm them?" He crossed his arms. "We try that and we'll suffer casualties, a lot of them."  
A slight frown crossed Sunada's face. "Calm down, we'll think of something. We have them outnumbered ten to one."  
Suda set his shield on the table as well. "Fine, let's hear it then. What's your plan?"  
The tent flapped opened. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance." A woman, about 32 years old strolled inside the tent. She wore tight black robes with red highlights. Her hair was long, black and tied up into a ponytail. She had cold grin eyes and a wicked smile painted on her face.  
Sunada stiffened at the sight of her. "Lady Jade." He cleared his throat. "I apologize; things are well under control. Suda is simply worried about the two wizards who responded to Rara's request."  
Jade waved her hand. "No need to worry, I'm not here to punish you." She sauntered over to the table and leaned against it. "I simply sensed two powerful magic presences in the area, and decided to make sure our plan would continue uninterrupted." Despite her sweet tone, there was a hint of malice behind her words.  
Sunada cleared his throat. "A couple of wizards from Angel Wing showed up at Rara. Normally it'd be trivial to get rid of them, but their S-class."  
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well then, this gives me a unique opportunity." She drummed her fingers on the desk, her fingernails had also been painted black.  
Suda distanced himself by a step. "To do what?" he asked politely.  
Jade reached out and picked up Sunada's spear. "Tell me, how did these fare against these wizards?" she asked calmly. She tapped her finger against it, causing golden magic letters to appear all over the weapon.  
Sunada shook his head. "They were ineffective."  
Jade sighed in frustration. "Well, no wonder they were with pathetic enchantments like these!" She waved her finger, causing some of the letters to rearrange themselves while others disappeared and were replaced by new ones.  
The two warlords watched her, memorized by the scene.  
Jade smiled at her work and snapped twice. The letters all disappeared without a trace. She tossed the spear over to Sunada. "There, now try it," she said proudly.  
Sunada snatched it up and examined it for a moment. He frowned at it but walked outside. The encampment was busy with dozens of soldiers all preparing for the coming battle. They paused as they saw their general step out.  
Sunada pointed his spear at a nearby boulder, about twice as tall as him, and three times as wide. He breathed in and poured what little magic he had into the spear. It began to glow so brightly that half of his men all averted their gaze, after two more seconds a magic orb, at least, twice the size of the one he'd shot before launched out and obliterated the boulder with total ease.  
Chunks of rock rained down all over the encampment as the soldiers stared in shock. Sunada himself found himself surprised at what just happened. He admired the spear with newfound admiration. "Impressive."  
Jade chuckled humorlessly. "That's why they call me the enchantress dear." She folded her hands. "Now, what other weapons can I enchant?"

At the Mountain Asylum…

Ayame leaned against the wall next to the door, she glanced at Zion as he worked on picking the lock. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked suspiciously.  
Zion nodded. "Of course, I'm a master of lock picking," he said confidently. He managed to unlock the door, carefully nudging it open.  
"Impressive. Where'd you pick that up?" Ayame asked. She watched as he slipped inside the room, following suit a moment after.  
"I lived on the streets for most my life, it's called survival," Zion replied. He crossed his arms and scanned the surroundings. They'd entered a lab of some kind, complete with operating table. There were no windows, just a few tables with medical instruments of varying legality.  
On the far wall, there was the symbol of a black shield, inside which there were the letters DA written in white with horns sticking out of them. Ayame tightened her jaw.  
Zion smirked. "Well, that's a Dark Guild mark if I've ever seen one. Either that or some Light Guild picked a really dumb emblem." He squinted at it. "Anyways, doesn't look familiar to me, what about you?"  
Ayame slowly nodded. "I've seen it before. That's the mark of Devil's Advocate."  
"Didn't Marius mention a Guild by that name?" Zion asked. He started searching the tables, finding a book with the same emblem on the cover.  
"He did," Ayame answered. She sighed. "But he, Luke and Matsudo wiped them out years ago. Demon Fang must've just used one of their old labs."  
Zion cleared his throat. "Not so sure about that." He held out he book, which he'd opened to the first page. "According to this, they've been busy."  
Ayame frowned, taking the book and skimming through the pages. It was a very hard read, filled with scientific terms she didn't quite understand. But she managed to grasp that they were experimenting on prisoners of theirs. Something about trying to find a way to give someone the power of a dragon slaying Lacrima, and a devil slaying one.  
Her frown deepened. Whoever wrote the log referred to themselves as Devil's Advocate multiple times. She came across a line that mentioned another familiar name. She closed the book. "This journal belongs to Doctor Nagata."  
Zion walked over to the door and kept watch. "Isn't he, you know, dead?"  
"Apparently not," Ayame answered dryly.  
Zion suddenly shushed her, setting his ear against the door. "Someone's coming," he whispered.

In the village of Rara…

Danghoul sat down on his bed, staring out the window towards the countryside. They'd been given a free room at the inn by the villagers. Aaron had recruited every man in the town to join the Militia, but they were all untrained with only cheap weapons to protect them. Against two hundred warriors, defeat was almost certain.  
Koan suddenly shoved open the door to their room and walked inside, his arms full of coconuts. "Hey check it out! The guy at the market gave me all of these for free!"  
Danghoul decided not to ask why he'd taken them.  
Koan frowned at him. "Man, you're no fun." He dropped the multitude of coconuts on the ground, taking a seat on his own bed.  
"Do you understand the situation?" Danghoul asked.  
"Yeah, we've got to defend Rara against Sunada's men," Koan said calmly.  
"Two hundred men," Danghoul said. He looked over at his partner. "Death is likely."  
Koan laid down on his back. "I get that, but it's not like sitting around worrying about it is going to make things better. And it's not like we can leave the villagers here to die."  
Danghoul sighed. "I know." He stood up and took a step closer to the window. "I would never leave them to this."  
Koan rolled over on his stomach. "Then you should get some shut eye. Doubt you want to fight them while exhausted."  
Danghoul was silent for a minute. "This makes no sense."  
"What? Sleep?" Koan asked.  
Danghoul shook his head. "Why would Sunada risk everything to attack Rara when he thinks two S-class wizards are guarding it. Why not pull out? There's nothing valuable enough in this town that's worth such a risk."  
"So, you're saying that there's something else he wants in this town?" Koan asked.  
Danghoul turned around. "Precisely."

At the Guildhall…

Hours after Raik and Marcus' duel activity had started to wind down. Several members having all gone to sleep at the dormitories. Those that remained were either drinking or mingling.  
Himura looked around at the unfamiliar faces. She wanted to introduce herself, but she wasn't quite sure who to approach.  
First there was Silver Soul, a nineteen-year-old boy who'd been recruited a week before she joined. He had short flat white hair, yellow eyes, and the Angel Wing mark was on his right hand in white. He was 5'9 and a little athletic. He wore a blue scarf wrapped around his neck and a simple white robe worn all around him, she could barely see his clothes beneath it. Under the robe, he wore a blue shirt and white pants.  
He sat at his table reading a book though unlike others of the Guild he didn't seem to be anti-social. Aside from that, all she knew was that Marius was apparently impressed by his magic and recruited him.  
Secondly, there was an eighteen-year-old girl named Ashley Walker. She had long golden blonde hair, the tips of which brushed against her butt. She was curvaceous with little muscle on her, putting her physical strength into doubt. From her eyelashes down to just under her eyes, there were small slashes, so thin she could barely see them.  
She wore a blue halter top that matches her crystal blue eyes, that ended under her chest, leaving her stomach and blue guild mark visible, with a pair of jean shorts that showed off her long legs. She stood behind the bar, staring off in the direction of the wall. Her eyes didn't seem to focus on anything.  
Himura eventually settled on the former. She approached him and smiled a friendly fashion. "Hello there, do you mind if I sit here?" she asked.  
Silver looked up from his book, so absorbed in his book he hadn't seen her coming. "Oh uh, no I don't mind." He cleared his throat. "My name is Silver, it's nice to meet you."  
Himura took a seat next to him. "I am Himura Hebi, but you may call me Hime." She scratched her cheek. "Everybody does."  
Silver set down his book. "Of course, Hime." He folded his hands. "Sorry for not noticing you approach; I was just a little focused on my book."  
Himura giggled. "Don't worry I know how you feel."  
Over by the bar Kyouko approached, hopping onto a stool. She opened her mouth to speak.  
"Hello Kyo, how are you?" Ashley asked, still looking at the wall. She worked on scrubbing down the surface of the bar.  
Kyouko blinked a few times. "How do you always see me coming?"  
Ashley smiled shyly. "Well, to be honest, I didn't really see you. I'm blind." She continued scrubbing at random, hoping to find a stain of some kind.  
Kyouko blinked several times. "But, how did you-"  
"I can sense disturbances in the light around me," Ashley explained. "That allows me to see someone approaching."  
Kyouko's eyes brightened. "That is so cool!"  
Ashley smiled. "Thanks."  
Aikasa entered the Guildhall and walked over the bar, plopping down next to the other women. She wiped the sweat off her brow and exhaled. "Whew! Now that was a good training session!"  
Kyouko glanced out the window, then back at her. "It's the middle of the night."  
Aikasa shrugged. "So what?"  
"Who trains in the middle of the night?"  
"I do," Aikasa said plainly.  
Ashley poured a glass of water. "Do you need something to drink?"  
Aikasa nodded. "Yes please."  
Ashley held it out in her general direction.  
Aikasa took it and downed it in one gulp. "Ah! Can't wait for tomorrow! Supposed to be good weather."  
Ashley cocked her head. "But I heard tomorrow was supposed to be cloudy and windy all day long."  
"I know!" Aikasa said happily.  
Ashley just smiled as though she understood.  
Sora emerged from behind the counter and trudged over to them.  
"Hello Sora," Ashley greeted.  
Sora climbed onto one of the stools. "Hey Ashley." He set a hand on his stomach and groaned.  
Kyouko smirked at him. "Did you overeat? Again?"  
Sora frowned. "It's not my fault Angel Wing has such good food. I'm a victim!" he exclaimed.  
"Well, you could try going on a diet," Ashley suggested. She couldn't quite tell what his reaction was, but she did know that he was staring at her.  
"Are you out of your mind?" Sora asked.  
Ashley scratched the back of her head. "Never mind."

Outside…

"Should we wake him?" Javael asked, nodding over at Raik.  
The Phoenix slayer sat in meditation position in front of the pond. He'd been that way for the better part of an hour now. Completely oblivious to the world around him.  
The girl he addressed just scowled in response. Strange, considering he hadn't said anything to her before. All he knew was that her name was Luna O'Ryans, a recent recruit. She had wavy rosy hair, about hips length. The eyes she was currently using to glare at Javael were emerald and round, though not overly.  
She had a light skin tone and was skinny, though not unhealthily so. She was 5'6 and about 150 lbs. Her facial shape was oval, and although she was somewhat skinny she didn't have stuck out cheek bones. Her lips were small, pink and thin. Her noise wasn't so pointy. She also had thin eyebrow and long eyelashes.  
She was wearing a short red jacket with gold stripes from the shoulders to the arms, with a small pocket on the right chest, a dark brown short sleeved top, a belt and a dark brown knee length skirt, high boots. She had a whip on her right hip and a revolver on her left one. To top it off she wore black fingerless gloves.  
Before Javael had interrupted she'd been planting seeds in the barren Angel Wing garden. "Why the heck should I care?" she asked.  
Javael wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. "Well, I don't know," he mumbled to himself.  
"Exactly, so back off!" Luna snapped.  
Javael raised an eyebrow. "I can't, I'm going on a mission with Arthur and I told him to meet me here," he explained. He took another step away from her for good measure.  
Luna looked about ready to blow a fuse at that thought of another man coming near her.  
Raik slowly came out of his meditation. He glanced between the two for a second, noticing the obvious tension. "Is he bothering you fair lady?" he asked.  
"Oh, whatever," Javael said, rolling his eyes.

At the Asylum…

Kadir glanced at every room they passed by. "Are we sure that Matsudo wasn't just pulling our leg?" he grumbled, narrowing his eyes. "After all, if there were really intruders he'd have ruined the fun by alerting everyone."  
Akita giggled. "Oh but if he did Dragon would punish him." She wasn't sure if she'd prefer that or actually finding the actual intruders.  
Alderic walked behind the two with his hands in his pockets, saying nothing.  
Kadir grumbled to himself. So far they'd searched about half of the first floor to no avail. What little patience he had was starting to wear thin.  
Alderic paused. "Hold on," he said, gesturing for the two to stop. He closed his eyes and listened, vaguely hearing the sound of a door creaking open. "There's someone in lab A."  
Kadir immediately grinned and bolted down the hall. It was all the others could do to keep up with him. He slid to a stop and kicked open the door.  
But the lab held no light wizards, just a dark one by the name of Amelia Blackwood. She gave them an annoyed glance. "So tactless, it's a wonder you're still alive," she commented. An eighteen-year-old woman, Amelia was curvaceous, and athletic, with milky white skin. She was the shortest mage present at the height of 5'0. Her hair was midnight black hair, so long that the tips brushed against her bottom, kept down straight with wavy curls.  
For the cold weather, she wore a black trench coat with the Demon Fang guild mark on the back in red, also a long black sweater and pants underneath. "I'm surprised you took so long to get down here."  
Kadir frowned at her. "Exactly how did you guess that we'd be down here?"  
Amelia rolled her eyes. "You didn't exactly make it hard. When I saw our new overseer walking out on us I immediately knew something was up, considering how, enthusiastic, she was about her new position."  
Akita smiled innocently. "Aww did you miss me?"  
Amelia glared at her but decided against saying anything. "After I heard Matsudo had paid you a visit it was trivial to deduce why three high-ranking wizards would leave to investigate the lower levels. You three should really learn to disguise your movements."  
Alderic didn't bat an eyelash. "So have you found them?"  
Amelia shook her head. "No I haven't, and neither will you if you run ahead kicking open doors and complaining like that. It'd be a miracle if they didn't hear you coming. You can't just roam around and hope to find them, you need to think ahead. That's why I managed to figure out where they were."  
Kadir scoffed. "Could've fooled me."  
Amelia gestured at the tables. "Nagata's log is gone. They were definitely here. Must've fled when they heard us coming."  
"I take it you have a plan to find them?" Alderic asked.  
Amelia smirked. "Of course I do."

At the Angel Wing girl's dormitories…

Luna walked inside the girl lounge and huffed. Two men bothering her while she was gardening, not ideal. At least, she had sanctuary in the dorms. She looked around the lounge. Nobody was present oddly enough.  
She heard a soft meowing noise from the nearby sofa. She glanced in its direction to find a black cat sitting on the couch cushions, staring up at her with red eyes. She scanned the room again. "Hello? Whose cat is this?" she asked.  
Luna waited for a response but received none. Satisfied she knelt down and smiled at the cat, scooping it up and hugging it to her chest. Her eyes lit up as she pet the feline.  
The cat purred and rubbed her head against the wizard's chest.  
Luna continued to hug the feline. "You're so cute!" she squealed. She turned towards the door and stopped in place.  
Diana stared at her with a rare look of surprise on her face. She glanced at the cat, then at her.  
Luna coughed, her cheeks turning red. "A cat got in."  
Diana raised an eyebrow. "That's Midnight, she's my cat."  
"Oh, right," Luna said awkwardly. The two stared each other in silence for a minute. Neither really knew what to say. Midnight meowed innocently and continued to nuzzle against the mage.  
"So, would you mind not telling anyone about this?" Luna asked hopefully.

At the Asylum…

The Asylum seemed to get stranger and stranger the deeper the two light wizards went. On the outside, it appeared like an ordinary facility, but it slowly became more and more twisted the deeper they went in. From labs full of strange potions to medical instruments of questionable legality. At the very end of it, they came across a room filled to the brim with Lacrima, all displaying images of every room in the Asylum.  
Zion scanned the many crystals, on almost every one of them there was, at least, one member of Demon Fang. "Man, their entire Guild must be here. Should we investigate?"  
Ayame shook her head. "There's too many of them, we should get out of here with the journal while we still can." She noticed one Lacrima, bigger than the others sitting in the center of the room. On it were the images of seven different men, all sitting around a table.  
She slowly approached it, setting her hands on the side and squinting. The first she noticed was the tuxedo-clad Matsudo sitting on the right. Next to him she saw an old man wearing a white lab coat. "That's Nagata," she whispered.  
Zion peered over her shoulder. "Matsudo? Why would he be hanging out with the master of Devil's Advocate? The two were sworn enemies."  
Ayame didn't respond. She took note of each man sitting around the table. "Kodama, Mihara, Mathias." Her face began to drain of color. "They're all with him too?"  
Zion pointed at the man sitting at the head of the table. "What about him? Do you recognize that one?"  
Ayame shook of her surprise. She breathed in and focused on the specified man.  
He wore a blood red trench coat with black gloves and pants. The hood was pulled down over half of his face, leaving only his mouth visible. His teeth were all razor sharp like fangs.  
Ayame slowly nodded. "I do. His name is Dragon." She swallowed hard. "He was the one who destroyed Holy Seraph."  
Zion clenched a fist. "We got to warn Marius."  
Ayame tore her gaze away from the Lacrima. "You're right. If we act quickly enough we can ambush them here."  
Zion nodded and began to walk towards the exit. "They don't know we're here yet. We should be able to slip out before they even notice." He shoved open the door, leading them out into a long hallway.  
Ayame hurried after him, slowing down as she drew close. She felt a magic buildup down the hall and stopped. "Wait," she said, grabbing onto Zion's arm.  
Kadir walked around the corner. "Well it's about time!" he exclaimed, breaking down into psychotic laughter. "You two are hard to find."  
Zion narrowed his eyes. "Didn't know we were being looked for."  
Akita followed after him, cracking her whip against the ground in anticipation.  
"You wouldn't have found them if it wasn't for me," Amelia said proudly. She also joined them, holding a doll in her left hand.  
Ayame reached into her jacket, grabbing Nagata's journal. "If you knew we were here, why didn't you sound the alarm?" she asked.  
"Where's the fun that?" Kadir asked. He grinned at them. "If someone found you, I wouldn't get the pleasure of exterminating you myself."  
Ayame pulled out the journal and shoved it into her companion's arms. "Get out of here. Take this to Marius and tell him to send backup to the Asylum asap." A white aura of magic appeared around her.  
"How many do you want him to send?" Zion asked.  
"Everyone," Ayame said firmly. "With all the Demon Fang leaders gathered here we can take them all down in one blow. But we need to move fast."  
Zion narrowed his eyes. "You want me to leave you here?"  
Ayame nodded. "That's exactly what I want you to do." She pointed at one of the side doors. "You take the long way around and avoid them, I'll stay here and keep the heat off of you."  
Zion reluctantly pulled open the door. "Be careful."  
Ayame crossed her arms. "Of course."  
Kadir narrowed his eyes. "Not so fast. Shadow tendrils!" He thrust his hand forward, six different tendrils on his arm extended in an attempt to trip Zion before he could make his escape.  
Ayame breathed in. "Takeover!" A wave of light surrounded her. "Guardian Soul." The light vanished, she now wore shiny gray armor covered in blue markings. She held a rectangular shield half as big as her in her left hand and a magic sword in the right. Finally, two angelic wings stretched out behind her. She sprang forward and cut the tendrils to pieces before they could reach their target.  
Zion stepped out the door, slamming it shut behind him.  
Kadir growled. "Fine, we'll take care of you first."  
Akita licked her lips. "it's going to be fun to break you."  
Amelia just lurked behind them, clutching her doll.  
Ayame assumed fighting position. She took a deep breath, before launching herself at the dark wizards.

Near the front door…

Zion ran down the hallways, forsaking stealth for speed. The battle would've blown their cover anyways. He finally bust through the door leading to the exit. He stopped for a second to catch his breath. Now he just needed to get back to Whitehorn. He looked up.  
Alderic stood against the doorway, staring over at him with a slightly amused expression. "Impressive, Amelia predicted your movements perfectly." He stood up straight and folded his hands behind him.  
Zion grit his teeth. "You don't want to do this." He clenched a fist.  
Alderic took a few steps towards him. "On the contrary, I think I do."  
Zion finished catching his breath and narrowed his eyes. He covered his hand in black magma. "Stand, aside," he growled.  
Alderic held out his right hand, a dark colored ice covered it. "I don't think so. Council dog."


	11. First Blood part 3

**I again thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate them. Anyways as you can see I've closed OC submissions. Thank you all for entering, I was truly surprised by how creative and diverse each of the OC's were. I look forward to writing about them all. Here are the last new OC's. All for Demon Fang.  
**

 **Kodran Tyrkirsson's Fenris Edmundsson  
Xxx-LunaRina-xxX's Kyle Aeris  
kbubblepop786's Alexander Vite  
**

 **This chapter has a lot of action, and also the introductions for the last submitted OC's. Enjoy!**

April 6 X784

"Disintegration Beam!"  
Ayame raised her shield just in time to block a purple laser shot at her from Akita. She grit her teeth, covering her sword in light energy. "Holy slash!" She swung her sword, letting loose a wave of energy.  
Akita raised her hand, retreating a few steps. "Negate." She sent out a wave of magic in front of her that dulled the power of the incoming spell, it hit her with a mere tenth of its strength. She grimaced for a moment but quickly recovered.  
"Shadow weapon!" Kadir yelled, charging at the light wizard, an ax made of dark energy. He started swinging at her, a grin on his face.  
Ayame blocked each attack with her shield, retreating from his brutal assault. She noticed Akita preparing another attack to her right and drew back her wings.  
"Disintegration Beam!" Akita cried again. She shot another purple laser out of her hands.  
Ayame flapped her wings hard, causing her to launch backward. The spell passed in between her and Kadir. She landed on her feet and slid back. Her battle with the dark wizards had been going on for the better part of ten minutes now, neither side gaining an advantage.  
Akita and Kadir had been assaulting her relentlessly. Amelia, on the other hand, had disappeared into the shadows. She didn't like that; they were planning something.  
Akita held out her hand, summoning a golden sword to it. "I'm going to relish seeing that pretty face of yours in agony."  
Kadir raised his weapon and charged. "Like I'd let her survive that long!" He brought his weapon down on her with both hands.  
Ayame again blocked it with her shield while pulling back her arm to stab him with her sword. "Big mistake," she said coldly. She lunged at him.  
"Shadow Form," Kadir said, his body transformed into dark gas, causing the weapon to pass straight through him.  
Ayame blinked, unexpected. She pulled out her weapon and retreated a step. She glanced behind her to make sure her other opponents weren't coming up behind her. She tightened her grip on her sword and slashed at him again.  
"Shadow Form," Kadir repeated, slowly striding towards her. He again transformed. The weapon passed straight through his head without leaving a mark.  
Ayame frowned at him. At least, it didn't seem like he could attack her when he was like that. She relaxed her guard slightly.  
Akita suddenly ran through Kadir and thrust at her with her sword, while simultaneously lashing at her exposed neck with her whip.  
Ayame barely managed to deflect the incoming sword with her shield, but the whip hit her in the neck. She winced her neck stinging. She swung her shield at the wizard.  
Akita grabbed onto the shield and smirked. "Shatter," she whispered. As soon as she said those words the shield broke into pieces like a broken window. They clattered onto the floor before disappearing.  
Ayame's eyes widened slightly. She barely managed to recover in time to parry Akita's next attack with her sword.  
"Shadow Strike."  
Ayame glanced to her side to see Kadir rising up out of her shadow. She shoved Akita back and turned to face him, only for the dark mage to punch her in the face. She flew halfway down the hall, managing to land on her feet.  
Her helmet fell off her head, causing her blonde hair to spill out all over. She kept a tight grip on her sword and inhaled.  
Kadir shook his head. "The most powerful wizard in Angel Wing? How disappointing."  
Akita sighed. "At least she's got spirit."  
Ayame smirked at them. "I'm not done yet." She breathed in. "Takeover!" She transformed again, her feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze, she had four wings with a head and fur like a lion, together with claws. She was clothed in golden armor from head to toe. "Cherub Soul."  
"Still got some fight in you huh?" Kadir asked. He created a spear of shadow. "Well, I'd like to see you-"  
Ayame flew forward and drove her fist into his gut before he could even finish his sentence.  
Kadir gagged, his face a mixture of pain and surprise. He rocketed backward into the wall.  
Akita blinked, taken off guard by her sudden increase in speed. She pulled back and lashed at her with her whip.  
Ayame swatted it aside and leaped forward, throwing a punch at the dark mage's forehead. The moment before her fist made contact Akita's skin transformed into iron. The blow landed, causing the dark wizard to fall on her back.  
Ayame grimaced, rubbing her sore hand. She scanned the dark room around her.  
Akita groaned. She slowly started to pick herself up. "Cutting it a little close there aren't you?" she mumbled.  
Amelia walked around the corner, holding a metal doll with a strand of dark gray hair sticking out of it. "You're lucky I helped you at all." She adjusted her grip on the doll, moving its arms.  
Akita suddenly jerked up and thrust at Ayame with her sword. "Hey!" she protested. Her skin turned back to normal.  
Ayame swung her arm down, knocking the weapon out of her hand. She proceeded to attack with a sweep kick. She eyed the doll in the other wizard's hand.  
Amelia lifted the dolls legs. Laughing sadistically at the scene.  
Akita copied the dolls pose. "Knock it off," she growled.  
Amelia casually moved the doll back and began manipulating its right arm. "What ever do you mean?" she asked innocently.  
"I'm going to punish you for this rat!" Akita snapped at her.  
Ayame zeroed in on the doll. That was all she'd need. She tried to bolt around her opponent and grab the doll.  
Amelia casually moved the doll, and Akita along with it, positioning her in front of the light wizard. "Your moves are predictable."  
Akita seemed to be trying to fight against the control to little avail. Her arm moved on its own, swinging her whip at her opponent over and over again.  
Ayame shielded herself with her arms. While the whip stung it didn't inflict any lasting damage. Her injuries were starting to build up, she'd have to end the battle quickly. She waited for the next lash, when it came she grabbed Akita's wrist and yanked her to the side.  
Amelia frowned. She again adjusted her doll, trying to make Akita block the way again.  
Ayame summoned a ball if golden fire to her right hand and threw it at her.  
Amelia tried to dive away but still got hit on the shoulder. "Agh!" She stumbled over to the wall, setting her hand against it to keep herself balanced.  
Ayame let out a breath. The fight had been draining but she'd taken the upper hand. She paused, feeling something wrapping around her legs. She looked down to see shadows encircling her ankles.  
"Shadow Tendrils," Kadir said smugly.  
Ayame summoned another ball of fire to her hands. "Bad move."  
Akita sprang forward and set a hand on Ayame's breastplate. "Such pretty armor, a shame I'll have to destroy it now." She grinned at her. "Explosion."  
Ayame's breastplate began to glow before exploding. Ayame would've been thrown backward but Kadir's tendrils held her in place. Pain flooded her senses, causing her takeover to deactivate.  
Akita whirled her whip around. An expression of pure joy on her face. "I love seeing people's faces in pain. It gives me such pleasure."  
Ayame noticed the tendrils starting to work their way up her body. If she was going to break free it'd have to be soon. She called on her magic again. "Takeover!" Before she could finish she felt something tear through her back. Another wave of pain flooded through her. She collapsed onto her knees.  
Kadir strolled into sight, carrying a spear made of shadow energy. "Did you really think I'd let you do that?" he asked.  
Ayame glared at him, clenching her fists. Her vision started to blur but she could still make out their position. She raised her arm and swung at him.  
Kadir made no move to dodge or counterattack. Instead, he just laughed.  
Ayame's fist stopped inches away from making contact. She tried to move her arm but it wouldn't budge. She stared at it in confusion.  
Amelia stepped into view. "Oh, so close," she said with false sympathy. She now held a doll with a strand of blonde hair sticking out of it. She moved its arm down. "Yet so far."  
Ayame's arm lowered as well. She ground her teeth together. The shadow tendrils wrapped over her arms, pinning them to her side. "You're making a serious mistake. Angel Wing will take you down. One way or the other."  
Kadir laughed. "Oh really? And how are they going to fight us without their strongest wizard?" He formed a fist and brought it down on her head.

Near the entrance…

"Dark Ice Magic: Gust!" Alderic yelled as he raised one hand. A blast of cold air shot out of his palm and washed over the room.  
Zion grimaced as the cold wind lashed against him, chunks of ice pelting his body as it intensified. He forced himself to breath in some of the icy air. "Magma God! Bellow!" He spewed a river of black lava out of his mouth.  
Alderic set his hands on the ground. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall!" Large chunks of ice sprouted out of the ground. Despite a direct hit the lava only partially melted the ice. He stood up and walked out from behind his shield. "Nice try, but this is no normal ice. It won't melt easily. Not even to you, Magma God."  
Zion slowly nodded. "Yes, I can see that." He took a few steps to the right. "I just have one question, why would someone so talented join with trash like Demon Fang?"  
Alderic calmly waved his hand, forming three projectiles about the size of his fist. "You could never understand. Dark Ice Magic: Bullets." The ice flew at the light wizard.  
Zion threw himself to the side, letting each of the projectiles pass by. They hit the wall instead and exploded in a blast of ice that sent a wave of cold spreading through the room. He grimaced, glancing at the amount of damage it'd done.  
"Dark Ice Magic: Glacier Spear."  
Zion looked back just in time to see Alderic throw a spear of pure ice at him, hitting him square in the chest. He grunted, stumbling backward.  
Alderic raised an eyebrow. "I expected so much more." He created another spear and threw it at his opponent's head.  
Zion smirked. He covered his hand in magma and swatted the spear to the side. "So, that's how strong you are huh?" His magic power began to grow.  
Alderic narrowed his eyes. "What?"  
Zion chuckled before breathing in. "Magma God!"  
Alderic frowned and bent down. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall." He formed another shield in front of him. "Are you truly so foolish as to try the same spell twice?"  
"Bellow!" Zion breathed out a river of lava twice the size of his last one. It hammered his opponents shield. This time, it reduced the wall to a thin layer of ice.  
Alderic grit his teeth. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" He unleashed another three projectiles from his hands.  
Zion formed a lump of magma in his right hand. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He hurled it at his enemy. The two spells collided, resulting in an explosion that sent pieces of fire and ice scattering across the room.  
Alderic shielded himself from a rain of sparks with his arm. He furrowed his eyebrows. It would appear he underestimated the light wizard, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. "Dark Ice Magic: Armor." He covered himself from head to toe in a layer of ice and charged.  
Zion surrounded his fists with lava. "Magma God's Hatred!" He too ran at his advancing opponent.  
Alderic blocked the first of his opponent's punches with his arms, his armor minimizing the pain of the blows. He retreated a step and ducked, driving his fist into Zion's chest, causing him to bend over. He brought his other fist forward and slammed it against his enemy's face.  
Zion yelled in pain. He retreated a half step and covered his feet in lava. "Magma God's Rage!" He hammered his foot into Alderic's armored gut, shattering the ice and throwing him into the wall.  
Alderic slumped down and grunted. What remained of his armor slipped off his body and fell onto the snow covered ground.  
Zion exhaled, glancing at the doorway. "That took longer than expected," he muttered to himself. He started to walk towards the door. "But it's over now." He closed in on the door, reaching out to push it open.  
"Dark Ice Magic."  
Zion immediately spun around, raising his fists.  
Alderic was standing again. He slowly lifted his hand. "Rose Iron." Vines of ice burst forth from the ground and wrapped themselves around Zion. The tip of the vines resembled a closed rose bud.  
Zion fought against the vines. "What is this?" he growled. His magic power started to fade away. He frowned in confusion.  
Alderic stared up at him expressionlessly. He folded his hands behind him. "You've been caught in my spell." He nodded at the vines. "They will siphon your magic power until nothing remains."  
Zion felt more of his power leave him. He thrashed around. "You'll regret this!"  
Alderic adjusted his fedora. "The more power they absorb, the more the rose buds will begin to open." True to his words the icy roses were already half open. "When they finish, they'll have absorbed all of your magic power."  
Zion's struggles began to subside.  
Alderic set a hand on his burned stomach. "Still you should give yourself credit. It's not often that someone of your rank manages to injure an S-class wizard."  
Zion clenched his fists. "I won't be stopped here." He heated up his body, causing the ice holding him to melt. He managed to slip his right arm out of the ice and covered it in more magma, he brought it down full force, breaking the ice into pieces.  
Alderic stared at him, slight surprise showing on his face.  
Zion landed on the ground and covered his hands in lava. "Magma God's Eruption!" He slammed both hands into the ground, sending a stream of magma underground. he let one stream erupt in front of Alderic.  
The dark mage jumped back, shielding his face with his arm. He frowned in confusion. "I don't get it. Did you really just miss?" He raised his hands to cast another spell but stopped short of doing so, hearing a rumbling noise coming from below.  
Two more eruptions occurred, one on each side of the first. The sheer heat caused Alderic to retreat another couple of the steps. He felt the ground directly beneath him heat up. His eyes widened. "Dark Ice Magic: Armor!" He covered himself in ice just as the last eruption shot out, surrounding him in lava.  
It melted the armor on his arm. Alderic yelled in pain as the magma burned his exposed flesh. The eruption slowly ceased, leaving the dark wizard standing in a puddle of lava. "I'm going to make you suffer for that one," he growled.  
But by the time he looked up, Zion was gone.

At the Asylum…

Kyle Aeris turned the page on his novel. The rumblings from below finally seemed to cease. "Looks like all the excitement has ended," he commented. His hair was dark orange with some brown shades. Short cut at the back, messy with slightly long bangs that cover some of his ocean blue, almond shaped eyes.  
He was 20 years old and 6'2. He had slightly tanned skin and an athletic build. On his back, there was a huge 'X' shaped scar, and some small, random ones scattered across his body. For the winter, he wore a brown, thick leather jacket with black pants that had some chains on the pocket. Black sneakers and white scarf on his neck.  
Across the room, Fenris stood by the window. "Yeah, looks like it," he grumbled. He was an S-class wizard like Kyle, standing an inch taller at 6'3. He had smooth gray hair, covering the right side of his face. He was 39 years old with a muscular build. He had a long scar going from his forehead over his right eye, and down to his chin. Several more were all-around his body. He was wearing a heavy blue coat with Gray gloves and heavy black pants.  
"How long did you expect a couple of spies would last against an entire team?" Alexander Vite asked. He was 22 years old, 5'11 and had a slim muscular build. His Guild mark was on his right cheek in black. He had mid-length blonde hair tied into a small ponytail with a single strand going over one of his blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of black pants with a white long-sleeved shirt.  
Fenris shook his head. "To think, there was a fight and I'm stuck guarding a door," he grumbled.  
"Get over it," Alexander muttered.  
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you cared about orders?"  
Alexander crossed his arms. "I don't, I'm here because I chose to be and for no other reason."  
Kyle noticed the sun rising out in the distance. He walked over to the window for a better view. "Don't worry Fenris, between Angel Wing, Fairy Tail, and the Baram Alliance, you'll have plenty of opportunities to fight."  
"I better," Fenris muttered.  
Kadir kicked open the door the stairway and stepped inside the room, an unconscious Ayame slung over his shoulder. "I still say we should've killed her," he grumbled.  
Amelia walked in after him, shaking her head. "She's much more valuable alive. Who knows, she might even know the location of Japheth's Vault." She stored her doll away in her coat pocket.  
Akita strolled up behind her, a grin on her face. She pushed the other girl onto the ground. "Now that that's over I'm back on the clock." She brandished her whip.  
Amelia rolled onto her back and scowled at her. "And exactly what would my crime be?"  
All humor vanished from Akita's face. "For using your little dollies to manipulate me." She poised herself to strike.  
Before she could strike Alderic walked up behind her, brushing her aside as he too entered the room. Burns covered his arm and a good portion of his clothes had been reduced to ash.  
Fenris whistled. "What happened to you?"  
Alderic's expression remained neutral. Though he must've been in pain. "I cut off the Angel Wing wizard. He was a God slayer."  
"Really?" Alexander asked in a rare show of surprise.  
"The Magma God slayer to be exact," Alderic answered. He joined Ryan and Fenris by the windows.  
"Did you kill him?" Kadir asked.  
Alderic slowly shook his head. "He got away."  
"What?" Akita asked, tightening her grip on her whip.  
Amelia stood up and glared at him. "You let him get away? With knowledge of where the Asylum is?" she asked coldly.  
Alderic closed his eyes. "He's drained of his magic and injured from our battle. The search team I sent out will find and capture him."  
"And if they don't?" Alexander asked.  
Alderic showed no visible reaction to his words. "Then I imagine he'll go running back to Angel Wing and tell them about the Asylum. But by the time they mobilize we'll have already secured the objective and left."  
Amelia stood up and dusted herself off. "You better hope so. If you're wrong the master's going to blow a fuse." She distanced herself from Akita by several steps.  
Kadir licked his lips. "I say let them come. When they attack we can kill them all."  
"What if they bring the Council?" Kyle asked.  
Alderic clenched a fist. "If they dare send anyone here I'll destroy them myself."  
The door to the control room opened and Matsudo stepped outside. He smiled at them in his typical manner. "Hello everyone, what an unexpected surprise." He noticed Ayame and put on a look of surprise. "And I see that there was an intruder. How surprising."  
Amelia frowned slightly. Wasn't he the one who said there were intruders in the first place?  
"Matsudo!" Mathias called. He walked up beside him, irritation clear on his face. "We're in the middle of our meeting. Why did you open the door?"  
Matsudo slipped his hands into his pockets. "Apparently four of our wizards found intruders wandering around the Asylum and apprehended one of them."  
Mathias' eyes widened slightly. "Ayame," he muttered to himself. He recovered from his shock and nodded at the assembled mages. "You did well in bringing her here." His gaze settled on Alderic. "But I can see that there was more than one intruder. Did you kill the second?"  
Alderic shook his head. "He got away."  
Mathias uncharacteristically withheld his rage. He folded his hands behind him. "This could provide us with a unique opportunity," he mused. "If Angel Wing attacks we can cripple them without risking an attack on Draycott."  
"So you're suggesting we let them attack?" Kyle asked.  
Mathias chuckled. "Precisely."

At the village of Rara…  
April 7 X784

"Sunada's on the move," Danghoul said. Out in the distance, he could see the warlord's army making their way towards the village at full speed. The village militia had only seventy men in it and all were untrained.  
Koan sat on the street next to him. "They're going to attack the village huh? It's such a shame when friends fight."  
"They aren't friends."  
"Sure they are, like I always say an enemy is just a friend who is trying to kill you sometimes," Koan said cheerfully.  
Danghoul frowned at him. "By that logic, Demon Fang are our friends too."  
Aaron paced back and forth behind them. "Well, what are we going to do! You must have some sort of plan, right?" he asked desperately.  
Danghoul crossed his arms. Rara was located on a large hill, it wasn't that steep but it could be used to their advantage. He glanced back at the village. Women and children had all been hidden inside the buildings, leaving the streets clear.  
Koan cocked his head. "You're thinking of something aren't you?"  
Danghoul nodded. "Aaron, can you think of any reason why Sunada targeted Rara specifically?" he asked.  
"Huh?" Aaron asked. He shook his head. "Of course not! If I knew what he was after I'd give it to him so he'd leave us alone!"  
Danghoul turned around to face him. "Any reason at all. I know this attack isn't random."  
Aaron paused for a minute, scratching the back of his head. "Well, Master Japheth of Holy Seraph came through here a few years ago. There's a rumor that he hid something important here. But it's just that, a rumor. I doubt a warlord like Sunada would even be interested in that."  
Danghoul turned back to Sunada's approaching army. Something about the entire attack seemed off. "What's the most prominent rumor?"  
Aaron sighed with slight irritation. "That Japheth hid a key here."  
Danghoul nodded. "I want you to hide all the Militia indoors. We'll lure Sunada's men into the village square. When they arrive, have your men ambush them."  
Aaron glanced back at his meager force uncertainly. "If you think that'll work. Let's go everyone! You heard the man!" he ordered with as much authority as he could muster up. He led the Militia off into town.  
Koan raised his hand.  
Danghoul sighed. "Yes, Koan?"  
"Why did you ask about the rumors?" Koan asked. He sat down cross-legged.  
Danghoul kept his eyes on the advancing army. "If Sunada really is after this key. We can use it to bring about his downfall."  
Koan sniffed the air, making a face at the stench of the incoming attackers. "Alright, but shouldn't we be going with the Militia to set up the ambush?" Two of Sunada's men began to charge up the hill.  
Danghoul pointed a finger at them. "No, we're exactly where we need to be. Dark shot!" He took each soldier down with a bullet made of shadow. "Thin out their numbers, we can't let them enter the village at full strength."  
Koan hopped to his feet and grinned. "With pleasure." He covered his right arm in fire.  
Another five men darted up the hill. One held back and summoned a magic rifle to his hands, aiming it at the two wizards.  
Koan released a massive ball of fire at the soldiers from his arm, launching it forward with a punch-like motion. "Fire Devil's Explosive Fire!" As the flames drew near to the target, they increased in size, creating an explosion upon contact. Four attackers were all sent flying in different directions, covered in burns.  
The fire began to die away, revealing another enemy soldier with his rifle aimed straight at Koan. He squeezed the trigger, firing an electric round that hit Koan in the shoulder.  
Koan recoiled and fell on his back.  
Danghoul pointed at the shooter. "Dark shot." He fired a bullet of his own that struck the man in the neck, successfully taking him down.  
Koan stood back up and growled.  
"You okay?" Danghoul asked.  
Koan nodded. "Never better."  
A larger cluster of warriors gathered at the bottom of the hill. They spread out to avoid being bit by another large spell. Several yards' back, Sunada appeared with his spear in hand. He locked eyes with the two wizards.  
Darkness began to gather around Koan. "I'll take care of him." He breathed in. "Black Dragon's Roar!" He exhaled a powerful beam of pure shadow, aimed straight at the warlord.  
Sunada calmly waved his spear. "Shooting Star!" He released a large orb of light that carved straight through the breath attack and hit the ground in front of the wizards, causing an explosion that threw both of them onto the ground. The warriors all let out a cheer.  
Danghoul landed on his back. He reached up and rubbed his head. He wasn't nearly that strong yesterday. He stood up again, taking a deep breath.  
Koan scrambled to his feet and pounded his fist against his palm. "I'll make him pay for that." He inhaled again.  
Danghoul shook his head. "Forget him. Take care of his army."  
Koan continued to breathe in, his cheeks puffing out. "Fire Devil's Rage!" He blew out a stream of hellfire at the base of the hill, sweeping it through the enemy ranks.  
Many were set on fire and ran off in every direction, trying to find a source of water. Those that weren't hit all fell back and shielded themselves with their arms. Sunada simply watched it all transpire without reaction. He nodded at one of his men, who aimed a magic rifle at the slayer.  
Danghoul calmly pointed at the shooter. "Dark shot." He took him down with one shot from his finger.  
Koan let up on the breath attack. "There, that ought to hold them," he said proudly. A wall of fire now separated the army from the village. He crossed his arms and smirked.  
Sunada just shook his head. He gestured towards another group of men.  
Koan squint to get a better look. One man pranced forward and approached the fiery wall. "Hey, there's Suda!" he exclaimed. He frowned in confusion. "What's he going to do?"  
Suda stepped up and thrust his sword into the flames. For a moment, nothing happened, but slowly his sword began to suck up the flames until the wall dissipated. The warriors let out another cheer.  
Koan's eyes widened. "He wasn't able to do that before! His sword couldn't handle it and spit the flames back out!"  
"That confirms it. They must've gotten upgrades." Danghoul reached back and set a hand on his scythe.  
Sunada raised his spear. "Charge!" he roared. The army let out another yell and stormed the hill full force.

In the forest around Draycott…

Sora knelt down at the bank of the river. He looked right, then left. "Isn't a bridge around here," he said nervously. He'd taken a job with a few other members that'd led them out into the forest, and unfortunately for him, over to the river.  
Zurdun shrugged. "Guess not." He reached down and dipped his hand into the river. "Oh well, rivers not running that fast so we can swim across."  
Sora scooted away from the river. "I'm not so sure about that. I mean what if-"  
Silver, so absorbed in his book, accidently stepped on his tail.  
Sora yelped, pulling his tail away and glaring. "Watch where you're going!"  
Silver looked up from his book and blinked several times. "I'm sorry, I was just distracted and, well." He cleared his throat. "You have my apologies."  
Zurdun started taking off his shoes. "Alright, let's get going."  
Sora stood up and waved his arms. "Seriously! I'm sure there's a bridge not that far from here. So there's no sense in getting all wet." He tripped over a rock and fell backward into the river before he could continue.  
Silver chuckled. "Well, no avoiding it now."  
Sora thrashed around, managing to grab ahold of the river bank and pull himself out. He coughed a couple of times. Water dripped from his clothes and tail. "Ugh."  
Zurdun sighed. "If you can't swim you could've just said so."  
Sora scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."  
Silver closed his book. "So how are we going to get across then?"  
Zurdun set a hand on his chin. "Don't worry, I'll handle it," he said after several seconds had passed. He knelt down and set his hand on the ground in front of him. A slab of rock jumped out of the ground, forming a bridge across the river.  
Sora sighed in relief. "Much better." He glanced at the bridge, then frowned. "Wait you could do that the whole time?"  
Zurdun shrugged. "It didn't occur to me."

At the Guildhall…

It was another busy morning at Angel Wing. Since the new members joined the hall had been starting to feel a little cramped. Especially for the boys, as none of them dared come within five yards of Luna.  
Marcus set a couple of plates down, one in front of Emma, the other in front of Diana. "There you go," he said, shoving some silverware over.  
Emma scrutinized her meal, making sure he hadn't snuck any sour foods onto her plate when she wasn't looking. Eventually, she smiled and started to eat.  
"I would've cooked for myself," Diana grumbled.  
Marcus chuckled. "Marius banned you from the kitchen, remember?" he asked  
Diana glowered at him.  
Emma looked at her quizzically, she leaned back and searched behind her chair, underneath it and just about everywhere else she could think of.  
Diana glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"  
Emma shrugged. "Where's Midnight?"  
Diana took a bite of her meal, pondering how to respond to that. Truthfully she'd let Luna look after her for a while, but Luna told her not to say anything about her love of cats… "The Celestial spirit world," she lied.  
Marcus picked up another couple of plates and walked down to where team Julie was sitting. "Here you all go." He set a plate down in front of everyone but Raik.  
Kayden licked her lips. "Thanks."  
Julie raised her glass. "Good work as always."  
Arthur just grunted.  
Morrigan glared at him. "Show some manners," she scolded.  
Arthur sighed. "Thanks," he said reluctantly.  
"You're welcome," Marcus said. He noticed Raik, who hadn't ordered anything and had instead, of course, made himself a peach crumble. "Don't you ever get tired of eating one of those every couple of days?"  
Raik shook his head. "Not at all."  
"Of course not," Marcus murmured. He turned around and walked forward, accidently stepping right in Ashley's path. She held four mugs in her arms.  
Ashley gracefully dodged around him. "Morning Marcus," she said cheerfully, setting one of the mugs down in front of Julie.  
"Morning Ash," Marcus replied. He moved on to the only Guild member hadn't served yet, Luna. He cleared his throat. "Hello."  
Luna glared at him. "Hi."  
"Look what do you want?" Marcus asked. Just being around her made him feel uncomfortable. Him and every other guy in Angel Wing, except for Raik.  
Luna crossed her arms. "I'll take a blueberry cheesecake."  
"For breakfast?" Marcus asked.  
Luna narrowed her eyes. "You got a problem with that?"  
Marcus shook his head. "None at all." He left to prepare the cake. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Himura stop by to say hi to Luna, who actually smiled and chatted with her for a bit. He frowned at them. What the heck did she have against the male gender?  
He finished with the cake and walked back over. "Here you go," he muttered, plopping it down in front of her. He sighed and hurried off.  
Luna stared at the cake in front of her. She grabbed a fork and took a bite of it. She set her left hand on her cheek and smiled, her eyes shining like stars.  
The entire Guildhall fell completely silent. Almost every single person present stared at her in disbelief. She didn't even notice either, she just kept on eating without a care in the world. "Does she know what's she doing?" Kayden whispered.  
"She's not scowling," Javael muttered. His eyes wide with shock.  
"She actually looks cute," Marcus said disbelievingly.  
The only person not paying attention was Marius. He stared out the window, a slight frown on his face. Ayame should've been back already, Danghoul and Koan were also overdue for that matter. What exactly was going on?


	12. First Blood part 4

**I thank you again for your reviews, I appreciate them. As a couple pointed out, I messed up a name. I went back and edited so hopefully the problem is now resolved. If you have a request for your characters OC arc let me know before this current story arc is finished. If not I'll come up with their arc myself.**

 **The next chapter concludes the battle at Rara and has some more humor at the end.**

April 7 X784

Koan pointed the index and middle fingers of both hands at the incoming army and turned his fingertips into flames. "Fire Devil's Twin Pistol!" He concentrated it a bit, after which he began to shoot flaming bullets into the crowd.

Danghoul pointed his finger at the army. "Dark Shot!" He joined in, firing at the attackers.

A dozen warriors fell to the onslaught as they made their way up the hill. A few raised guns and returned fire, managing to inflict a few minor injuries on the wizards.

Danghoul began to backpedal, keeping up the attack. He aimed at the riflemen, taking down as many as he could.

Koan continued shooting into the bulk of the army. He retreated a few steps. "Have we thinned them out enough?" he asked.

Danghoul shook his head. "Afraid not."

Another dozen men fell to the mage's spells. But their advance didn't slow. They began to close in on the village. Sunada and Suda lurked behind their minions, slowly approaching the battle themselves.

Koan ceased fire. He put up his fists like a boxer and began to hop around. "Then we'll just have to take out these bozos at close quarters combat!"

Danghoul grabbed his scythe with his free hand and withdrew it. He nodded at him.

Several warriors sped past their comrades, brandishing swords, spears, ax's and shields. They closed in on the two mage's.

Koan inhaled. "Black Dragon's Breath!" He unleashed a black fog from his mouth, covering the approaching soldiers in a dark cloud.

"Dark shot!" Danghoul fired into the darkness. He heard several different men let out cries of surprise and pain as he did so.

A large man suddenly charged out of the fog, a metal club in hand. He grabbed it with both hands and lifted it overhead, letting out a ferocious yell as he did so.

Koan ran forward. "Fire Devil's Slingshot!" he engulfed his entire body in flames and propelled himself into the soldier at high speed, hitting him with a powerful head butt. He then proceeded to send the man flying up in the air with a pillar of fire produced from his body.

Another five men charged through the fog, all armed with swords.

Danghoul leaped forward, scythe in hand. He landed in their midst and assaulted them with his weapon, quickly dispatching all five with ease.

A warrior crept up behind Danghoul, grabbing a spear with both hands and raising it overhead.

"Shadow Blade," Danghoul whispered. A shadow extended out of his wrist, transforming into a blade. He whipped around swiped at him with his new weapon.

The man gagged, dropping his weapon and collapsing onto the ground.

Koan's fog began to clear up, and the army resumed their charge. One of the men in the crowd pulled back his arm and threw a spear at them.

Koan stepped to the side just as the spear passed. He summoned a sword to his hand. He cleared his throat. "So, if they tear us to shreds, it was nice knowing you."

Danghoul nodded in agreement. He waited for the enemy to draw near, before springing forward, his shadow blade leading the way. He clashed with the army. With his shadow blade, he guarded himself and with his scythe he struck.

Koan charged towards the advancing soldiers. "Black Dragon's Sword Horn!" he yelled. He surrounded himself in Darkness Aura and drove himself into the nearest soldier at high speed, hitting him with a powerful head butt, throwing him into his comrades.

The two wizards fought against the gathering army. Some fell to the wizards offensive, but they dealt them some damage in return. Danghoul fought his way to the middle of the enemy ranks.

One of Sunada's sergeants yelled and charged at him, swinging his ax at him. "Die little wizard!" he bellowed.

Danghoul parried each blow to the best of his ability, feeling a slight pain in arms at each clash with the larger man. He ducked under an incoming blow and thrust at his opponent's knee with his shadow blade.

The sergeant narrowly moved his leg away in time. "Take this!" He grabbed his ax with both hands and swung it down.

Danghoul raised his hand. "Dark shot!" He shot four bullets into his opponent's gut.

The sergeant dropped his ax, before falling on his back.

Danghoul stood up and breathed in. Several scratches and bruises covered his arms and chest. But they'd failed to inflict a lasting injury. He scanned the area around him seeing another group of warriors surround him. He knelt down and set his hand on the ground. "Midnight Shadows dance," he whispered. All the surrounding shadows turned into blades and shot out in every direction, taking down many different soldiers all at once.

One of them blocked the spell with his shield. He yelled and charged at the wizard while he was recovering. He drew back his mace to strike.

"Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" Koan yelled. He leaped forward, surrounding his hand in darkness. He brought it down on the soldier's gut, knocking him onto the ground.

"Good job," Danghoul said. He faced away from his comrade. He noticed yet another wave of Sunada's men coming in.

Koan glanced back at the village. "So, we taken enough of them down yet?"

Danghoul scanned the enemy ranks. Their assault had taken out a good number of the army, but a little more than a hundred remained. He sighed. "It'll do. Give us some cover."

Koan grinned. "You bet." He inhaled. "Black Dragon's Breath!" He spewed out another black fog in the direction of the army. It swept over the entire hill, leaving all of Sunada's men fumbling in the dark.

Danghoul sprinted in the direction of Rara, coming out of the fog and reaching the top of the hill. He noticed the fog beginning to lift and increased his speed.

Koan managed to keep pace with him. "So, remember when you said you'd use the mythical key to bring about Sunada's downfall? When exactly are you going to do that?" he asked.

Danghoul slowed to a stop in the village square. "Follow my lead," he answered, rotating to face the town entrance.

The fog lifted, allowing the army to recover from their temporary confusion. They reformed ranks but hesitated to enter Rara, the losses they already suffered deterring them. "Stand aside!" Suda yelled, shoving his way to the front.

Sunada followed him, his face betraying slight frustration.

Danghoul kept his expression calm, trying not to show any fatigue.

Sunada tightened his grip on his spear. "You've certainly made this more annoying."

Danghoul looked the warlord in the eye. "I know what you're after," he said calmly.

Sunada raised an eyebrow. "Do you now?"

"Yeah!" Koan exclaimed, pretending he knew what his partners plan was.

Danghoul nodded at their weapons. "You upgraded the enchantments on your spear and Suda's sword. I know you can't enchant weapons yourself, someone did it for you. The same person who ordered you to attack Rara in search of Japheth's key."

Sunada slowly began to frown. His army exchanging wary looks.

Danghoul raised an eyebrow. "Am I close?"

Sunada's face twisted into a scowl. His spear started to glow. "Shooting Star!" he bellowed, swinging his weapon at them. An orb of light shot at the two wizards.

Danghoul and Koan dove in opposite directions, the spell, passed in between them and hit the street ten yards back.

"Destroy them!" Sunada yelled. He charged, followed closely by his army.

Danghoul took up his scythe and stood in his way. "Draw them in," he said to his partner.

Koan re-quiped a sword. "You got it."

Sunada came down on them, thrusting his spear at them. "Celestial Spear!" Light covered the blade of his weapon.

Danghoul grabbed his scythe with both hands and parried the lunge. He intentionally began to backpedal, blocking each of the warlord's mighty attacks.

Koan fended off the minions as best he could, receiving several minor injuries from some of the soldiers.

They slowly led the army towards the village square. Sunada breathed in and lifted his spear. "Enough!" He banged the bottom of his spear onto the ground. A wave of light shot up from the ground, knocking both the wizards onto the ground.

Danghoul winced as his stomach began to sting. He stood back up and raised his weapon just in time to parry another thrust from Sunada's spear. He took a quick look around them, seeing that they were now standing in the square. He allowed a very rare smirk to cross his face.

Sunada narrowed his eyes. "What are you so happy about?"

"Attack!" Aaron yelled as bravely as he could. He charged out of one of the surrounding buildings, followed by the rest of the Militia. They came down on the attacking army from all sides. The enemy was taken off guard and suffered heavy losses.

Danghoul shoved Sunada back and pulled back his arm. "Shadow Blade." He formed another black blade on his wrist, plunging it into his opponent's lower chest.

Sunada grimaced, surprise flashing across his face. He clenched a fist and let out a furious shout. "Celestial Spear!" His pike began to glow brighter than it ever had before. He proceeded to swing it at his opponent.

Danghoul attempted to block with his shadow blade, but it shattered against the attack. He narrowed his eyes, retreating a few steps.

Koan noticed his partner's distress and covered his arm in flames. He raised it overhead, before swinging it forward. "Fire Devil's Hot Slash!" A crescent shaped spell flew out at the warlord.

Suda slid in front of it before it struck and stabbed his sword into it. The flames were immediately absorbed into the blade. "Nice try freak," he said with a smirk.

Koan grinned at him. "You can block my flames, but what about darkness!" He inhaled. "Black Dragon's Roar!" He let loose another breath attack, aimed straight at his opponent.

"Re-quip!" Suda yelled, summoning his golden shield to his free hand. He lifted it in front of him. A powerful barrier of light emitted from the Zentopian emblem, blocking the stream of dark energy.

Koan shielded his eyes with his hands as the light grew brighter.

Suda rushed forward, slashing his sword across the wizard's chest. "Got my shield upgraded too." He cackled insanely. "Neither of your little Slayer elements will work on me!"

Koan staggered backward, dropping his sword. He formed his arm in darkness energy. "Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" He threw a punch at his face.

Suda blocked the blow with his shield. Again another field of light appeared, burning Koan's hand. "I told you that's not going to work!" He slashed his sword across his lower body once again.

Koan continued to fall back, his lower body throbbing from his injuries. He grit his teeth, his body starting to shake.

Suda drove his shield into Koan's head at full strength, knocking him onto his back. "That you all got, weakling?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought your duty was to protect the innocent from evil?" He broke down into laughter.

Koan, still laying on the ground, began to laugh along with him.

Suda paused. "What the heck?" he muttered.

Koan kept on laughing, getting louder every second. Several warriors and members of the Militia distanced themselves from him.

Suda shook his head. "Didn't think I hit you that hard." He adjusted his grip on his sword. "Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery."

Koan started to stand up. A toothy grin was on his face, and black rings were around his eyes. He continued to laugh. "Finally!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Sunada himself ceased his attack on Danghoul for a moment. "What the heck is wrong with him?" he muttered to himself.

Danghoul seemed mostly unfazed by the sudden occurrence. "Koan?" he questioned.

"Koan? Koan's not here right now; you can call me Joker. And as you can see, I'm a lot happier!" Koan exclaimed, holding his arms out horizontally.

Suda narrowed his eyes. "You're insane."

Joker bowed deeply till his head almost touched the ground. "I am, aren't I? Thanks for noticing." He stood up straight and sauntered towards his opponent.

Suda lifted his shield in front of him. "Whoever you are, your magic's still ineffective."

Joker cocked his head and pouted. "Is it now? Let's see about that!" He sprinted at his opponent, jumping in the air at the last moment. "Black Dragon's Wing Attack!" He produced a stream of darkness from each his arms and swung them down at him.

Suda raised his shield overhead, successfully blocking the spell.

Joker landed on top of his shield and surrounded his fist in fire. "This should be a good angle. Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" He swung his arm down on the man.

Suda blocked with the flat of his sword, absorbing the flames. He shoved the wizard off of his shield. "Crazy mage," he muttered.

Joker flipped over, landing on his feet. He charged once again, cackling the entire time.

Danghoul watched the scene. No doubt he'd just met the alter ego that Marius warned him about. His movements certainly weren't that of a sane man. He turned back to Sunada, who seemed equally interested in the scene.

Sunada chuckled. "Quite an odd one isn't he?" he asked rhetorically. The blade of his spear started to shine. "Shooting Star!" He threw an orb of light at Danghoul, who evaded by diving to the side.

Danghoul pointed his finger at him. "Dark shot!" He ran at the warlord, shooting bullets from his finger as he went.

Sunada deflected the bullets with the blade of his pike. "Shooting Star!" He yelled again, throwing another ball of light at him.

Danghoul evaded again, swinging his scythe at the larger man. The two entered a brutal melee, their weapons clashing with each other time and time again. Despite Sunada's strength, he also possessed great speed. The enchantments on his spear also made it light and easy to carry.

Danghoul formed several Shadow blades throughout their duel but failed to inflict any serious wound on the warlord. Their battle drew them away from the primary fight and over to the hillside.

Sunada knocked Danghoul back with a sweep of his arm and lifted his spear. "Shooting Star!" he yelled, hurling out yet another orb of light.

Danghoul managed to land on his feet and crossed his arms in X position. "Shadow Guard!" He created a wall of darkness between him and his enemy. The orb tore through it and hit him in the chest. He fell on his back and rolled down a portion of the hill.

Sunada strolled to the edge of the hill and watched. "Our battle is at an end, wizard." He surrounded his spear in more light. "Celestial Spear!"

Danghoul slowly stood back up, his entire body aching. He narrowed his eyes at him. His regular spells weren't enough. He clenched his fists. But he still had one left.

Up in the village, Suda and Joker continued their battle. Though his new insanity caught the barbarian off guard, Joker continued to be kept at bay by Suda's weapons. He'd also received another several slash wounds on his body and arms, leaving him weak.

Suda raised an eyebrow. "That all you got psycho?"

Joker licked his lips. "Not quite." He formed a handful of green orbs in his hands and tossed them at his opponent. They all suddenly started to buzz around Suda like a bunch of flies, doing nothing to attack him.

Suda looked around them, raising an eyebrow. "You want to try that one again?" he asked jokingly.

Joker shrugged. "Nah, I'm good." He formed a fist. "Fire Devil's Firefly!" All of the green orbs all suddenly flew into Suda, flying around his shield and sword and hitting him in his exposed flesh.

Suda cried in agony, dropping his weapons and falling back.

Joker laughed psychotically. "What's the matter?" He engulfed his hand in fire. "Little bugs causing you problems? Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" He punched the warrior in the lower chest.

Suda's eyes widened. He slowly slumped onto the ground; his eyes opened wide.

The rings around Joker's eyes disappeared, and his grin wilted. He blinked at his defeated opponent a few times. "Did I do that?" he asked, now back in his usual persona. He reached back and scratched the back of his head.

Sunada stole a glance back at the battle, a frown appearing on his face. "If anything, you're surprising," he said, turning back to Danghoul. He pointed his glowing spear at him. "But it's time to end this little skirmish."

Danghoul stood up, dark magic gathering around him. Black triable tattoos appeared over most of his skin. "Reapers rage," he whispered. He sprang forward at a blinding speed.

Sunada swung his spear at him with all of his mighty strength.

Danghoul knocked the pike out of his hands with one stroke of his scythe. He continued to tear his weapon across the warlord's chest.

Sunada let out a pathetic groan, before falling on his back with a loud crash.

Danghoul immediately deactivated the spell, causing his tattoos to disappear. He fell on his hands and knees and gasped. His magic had been completely depleted by the battle. On top of that, he'd suffered from several different wounds.

The remnants of Sunada's army stared at their fallen commander in shock. One dropped his sword, followed by two others, soon the entire group discarded their weapons and put up their hands.

Aaron looked ecstatic at the scene. "We did it, we won." He let out a victorious shout that the rest of the Militia echoed.

Koan stumbled over to Danghoul and fell on his knees. "Seems like we did it," he said weakly. He clutched his stomach.

Danghoul nodded.

"… Can we get some medical attention now?" Koan asked hopefully.

.

At the Guildhall…

April 8

.

Zurdun opened the door to the hall and slowly walked inside. "Ugh," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. The job took an ugly turn when the creature they were employed to find, turned out to be a lot bigger then it looked on the flier.

Ashley smiled at them. "Welcome back."

Zurdun lazily waved at her. He took a seat at the bar. "That took a lot longer than I expected." He shook his head. "I need a drink."

"Ale or wine?" Ashley asked.

"Ale," Zurdun replied.

Silver also walked in, his book tucked under his arm. "Exactly why do you go barefoot everywhere?" he asked.

Sora walked at his side, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Silver pointed at his feet. "We were walking on twigs and rocks, wouldn't shoes have come in handy at some point?"

Sora shrugged. "Why would they?"

Silver stared at him, trying to deduce whether or not he was serious. "Isn't it uncomfortable for you?"

Sora shook his head. "Of course not."

Zurdun rolled his eyes at them. "This is why I prefer solo missions."

Ashley set down a mug of ale in front of him. "Well, since job requests are down we have to share some with each other. For now, at least."

"Yeah, I get it," Zurdun grumbled.

There was a loud knock on the door. Marius sighed, reluctantly standing and going to answer it. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, revealing an irritated constable standing behind Kyouko and Emma.

Emma smiled sheepishly. "Hi Master Marius." She waved with her right hand, which was handcuffed to Kyouko's left.

Kyouko's ears were flattened and her tail low. "I apologize for this."

Marius just smiled as though he didn't see them. "Good morning officer. What can I do for you?"

The constable nudged the girls. "I think these two can answer that question."

Kyouko cleared her throat. "We were exploring the ruins of Aphrodite's Temple."

"Which turned out to be a restricted area," Emma added under her breath.

Marcus walked by on his way to the job board. He stopped in place and glanced at the doorway. His eyes widened. "Emma!"

His sister froze in place, nervously smiling at him. "Hi, Marcus. How are you?"

Kyouko cleared her throat. "I also may have knocked over one of the vases."

"You did what!?" the constable exclaimed.

Emma laughed nervously. "They didn't know that was us Kyo."

"How could you have been so stupid!" Marcus said, giving both girls a harsh stare.

Kyouko hung her head in shame. "We're sorry."

Emma copied her pose with some reluctance. "Yeah, we're sorry."

Marius crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "Okay, how much is the fine?" He waved Petra over. He had a feeling someone would get in trouble eventually.

"Ten thousand jewel and they're free to go," the constable replied.

Petra walked over and smiled, oblivious to the two girls wearing handcuffs standing to her left. "Yes master?" she asked.

Marius pointed at the back room. "Could you head back and get us some jewel?"

Petra nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you," Marius said as she departed.

"Thank you master," Kyouko chirped, her ears perking up.

Emma averted her gaze to avoid her brothers steely stare. "Thank you, master," she echoed, trying to think of a good excuse to give.

"Don't mention it," Marius said. He narrowed his eyes. "But if this happens again, you're going to have to pay me back, understood."

Both girls nodded.

Marcus frowned at them. "Sour foods for a week, for both of you!"

"Huh?!" the girls said in unison.

Meanwhile near one of the windows, Javael and Raik sat at a round table. The former eating his breakfast while the latter had just awoken from meditation.

Aikasa stomped by, an annoyed look on her face.

Morrigan walked on her left side. "If you wanted to sleep in undisturbed you should've been prepared for someone training outside the dorms!" she snapped.

Aikasa glared at her. "In this weather?"

"It's seventy degrees and sunny!" Morrigan retorted.

"Exactly! Not like its cloudy and windy!" Aikasa countered.

Raik smiled at the two of them. "Good morning to the two of you elegant ladies!" he greeted politely.

"Shut up."

"Not interested!"

"Strike fifty-three," Javael muttered.

Raik seemed unfazed by their harsh rebuke as usual. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. He noticed something from the corner of his eye.

Outside Luna was busy attending to the garden. She noticed them and scowled at the window.

Raik waved at her. "Good morning!" he called cheerfully though he knew that she'd never hear them through the window.

Luna's scowl deepened. She shouted something undoubtedly vulgar back at them.

Javael leaned away from the window. "Is it just me, or are half the girls in this Guild extremely hostile?"

"Oh that's nonsense," Raik replied. He smiled and tapped the window. "I'm sure she's just being friendly."

Luna punched the window and yelled something else at them.

Javael grimaced, making a note to sit at another table the next day.

Raik frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

Luna's eye twitched. She noticed Arthur walking by and grabbed him by the arm. She looked him in the eye and rambled for about fifteen seconds.

Javael didn't know what she said, but Arthur went as pale as a sheet.

Luna released the boy, took a deep breath, and returned to her gardening.

Arthur walked in the Guildhall seconds after. He took a seat at their table and cleared his throat. "Yeah so, she's got a message for you."

Raik crossed his arms. "Really? Well, what is it?"

Arthur folded his hands. "That if you keep looking at her like that she'll have her plants strangle you in your sleep. At least, that's the censored version."

"Strike fifty-four," Javael muttered.

Diana watched the scene from her corner and rolled her eyes. She returned to practicing her guitar. Angel Wing sure was lively that morning.

"Hey Diana!" Emma called. She ran over and slid into the booth, her eyes shining.

Diana sighed. "What is it Emma?" she asked.

"I saw an Olympian key in the temple," Emma said eagerly.

Diana's fingers slipped, causing her to play the wrong chord. "What did you say?"

"Another glass key! I saw one in Aphrodite's Temple!" Emma stressed.

Diana put down her guitar, giving her a suspicious look. "Are you sure?"

Emma nodded. "I am. I would've grabbed it, but security showed up and dragged us away before I even got the chance."

Diana folded her hands and set them on the table.

Emma crossed her arms and looked up proudly.

Diana noticed and sighed, knowing what she wanted. "Thank you Emma."

"You're welcome," Emma replied.

In the middle of the Guild, Himura, Kayden and Julie were busy eating an oversized pizza. Julie took a bite of her fourth slice. "You sure eat neat," she commented.

Himura very carefully ate her pizza. "Oh, thank you," she said, bowing her head.

Kayden did not sit, instead opting to stand so she could walk around the table every once in a while. "Is this how they eat where you're from? What's it like over there anyways?"

Himura smiled. "It is lovely, visually stunning, the people are nice, the food is good."

"How's the booze?" Julie asked.

Kayden gave her an exasperated look. "You know there's more to life then drinks right?"

Julie nodded. "Of course. There's also adventure, friends and pizza."

As they talked, Marius finished paying the fine and shut the door. A moment later it was shoved open again, and Zion stepped inside. His arm and lower chest were covered in bandages, and he had a pained look on his face.

"Zion?" Himura asked.

"What happened to you?" Kayden asked.

Zion took another three steps inside. "I met Ayame; we found a Demon Fang hideout."

Marius froze. "What?"

"Demon Fang ambushed us, Ayame stayed behind to fight them off and told me to go ahead," Zion said quickly. He stopped to catch his breath. "She wants you to attack the Asylum, full force."

Ashley hurried over to his side. "Sit down," she said firmly.

Zion obeyed, taking a seat on the nearest chair.

Marius folded his arms and closed his eyes.

Ashley covered her arms in white light. "Healing Wave." She sent the light flowing out in front of her, washing over the wounded wizard.

Zion's minor wounds vanished entirely while most of his major injuries were reduced to mere scratches or bruises. He exhaled. "Thanks Ashley."

She nodded, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"Where's Ayame now?" Petra asked, hugging herself.

Zion shook his head. "I don't know. They might've captured her."

Petra stiffened. "They, captured her?"

Marius reached down and patted her on the head. "Don't fret, we're going to get her back," he said calmly. He formed a fist with his other hand. "They've messed with our members, it's time for some payback. Tonight! We're setting out for the northern mountains, to destroy Demon Fang and free Ayame!"

The Guild let out a cheer.

.

At the Asylum…

.

"How do you feel?" Matsudo asked.

Alderic glanced down at his body, now free of burns he suffered in battle. "Good as new," he answered, clenching a fist.

Matsudo chuckled. "Good, you'll need to be at full strength when Angel Wing arrives."

Akita giggled. "To think we're going to engage in a full-scale conflict. I'm so glad that I was assigned to the Asylum detail." She licked her lips.

Amelia gave her an annoyed glance. "That makes one of us."

Kadir laughed joyously. "Carnage and murder! Now this is my kind of job!"

Fenris himself seemed plenty giddy. "Didn't think I'd get to be in another battle like this. Not since I left Fairy Tail."

Alexander just grunted in annoyance.

Kyle leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. "Whatever happens, it'll be interesting."


	13. First Blood part 5: Clash at the Asylum

**Thank you all for the reviews, they are very helpful. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far. This chapter has a lot of action as you probably guessed. But strangely that's not what I got stuck on, oh no, I got writers block while trying to write the dialogue at the beginning, but none when I was writing the actual fight scenes, because everyone knows that dialogue is _so_ much harder to write then action scenes.**

April 8 X784

Master Dragon calmly stared at the window, watching his forces assemble outside the Asylum. Members from Demon Fang, Devil's Advocate and even the remnants of Crimson Sphinx had all gathered to prepare for battle, about a hundred and twenty total.

Most were simple minions, all of which had been dressed in coats with masks covering their faces, the color of their clothes were all dark red while their masks were black. Mathias and Kodama were outside organizing the army.

Matsudo strolled up to his side. "Only a hundred? Pity, I expected a much larger turnout," he said in his regular cheerful voice. "At least twice that number."

"This is all we need," Dragon replied, crossing his arms. He glanced at his partner with slight annoyance. "Besides, if you'd protected Crimson Sphinx from Angel Wing we'd have more men available."

Matsudo put on an exaggerated look of horror. "Why sir! That would require me to go up against five talented wizards! Surely you don't expect me to defeat them all!"

Dragon rolled his eyes. "Cut the act. We both know there isn't anything in that Guild, wizard or team, that could pose a challenge to you."

Matsudo smirked. "You overestimate me, master."

Dragon sighed, setting his hand on the window. "I hope you drop this façade before they arrive. I need someone to counter Marius after all."

"Oh? I thought you'd want that honor for yourself," Matsudo commented.

Dragon chuckled. "He may have been a match for me once." A blood red flame covered his hand. "But now he's beneath me."

Matsudo chuckled. "I almost forgot, we've secured the Basilisk Gem. We've sent it to Abbadon as you requested."

Dragon nodded. "Very good."

"I must admit, I'm surprised you'd go so far just to make sure a single wizard achieves his full potential," Matsudo said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What's a Guild master if his wizards are weak?" Dragon asked rhetorically. "I need them to become stronger." He clenched a fist, more flames gathering around it. "Stronger then Angel Wing, Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail and the Council itself. Only then, will we be truly invincible."

.

On the train to Whitehorn…

.

The train conductor almost had a heart attack when all of Angel Wing, numbering near seventy-five, showed up and asked to board the train. Almost every single seat was filled just by them. The few that weren't wizards gave them weird looks. One particular booth was occupied by Marcus, Emma, Morrigan and Raik.

Marcus leaned against the window, letting out a pathetic groan. "Stop the train," he gasped, his stomach churning.

Morrigan glared at him coldly. "Quit joking around! People are staring."

"This isn't a joke," Marcus insisted, opening the window partway.

Emma didn't even glance in her brothers direction, she just read her book as though it was all a completely normal occurrence. "He's got motion sickness," she said casually.

Raik folded his hands. "Really?"

Emma shrugged. "Well, yeah, don't you guys? I mean you're Slayers too."

Morrigan shook her head. "I don't."

Raik set a hand on his chest. "Neither do I good lady."

"Are you kidding!" Marcus exclaimed. He kept his head near the window. "Why are Dragon Slayers the only ones with this problem!"

Raik and Morrigan stared at him as though he lost his mind.

"Isn't that obvious?" Raik asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Emma shook her head. "Not really."

Morrigan sighed exasperatedly. "It's because he's a Dragon," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Marcus stared at them in disbelief. "That doesn't explain anything!" he retorted, the train hit a bump, triggering another wave of sickness. He stuck his head out the window.

.

In the city of Whitehorn...

.

Upon arrival in the city, Marius gathered the Guild near the outskirts of the city, close to the entrance to the mountains. The man in charge of the local military, Captain Jonathan, approached them. He wore a typical uniform with a cigar in his mouth. "Wasn't expecting a visit from an entire Guild," he grumbled.

Marius laughed. "Yes, I apologize for arriving unannounced." He pointed at the mountains. "But I'm sure that there's a Dark Guild out in those mountains. We came to stamp it out for you."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You did huh? Thought Guilds weren't allowed to do that without permission from the Council?"

Luna walked over and frowned at the soldier, and not just because he was a man.

Marius shrugged. "If the Councils got a problem with me taking out a Dark Guild for them, they can take it up with me when I get back," he said casually.

Jonathan smirked, a puff of smoke escaping his mouth. "If you're sure. I can organize my boys and come back you up in a couple of hours, but until then you're on your own."

Marius waved his hand. "Oh don't worry, we'll have cleaned them up long before you even arrive." He nodded at his Guild. "Let's go, everyone! We got a Dark Guild to annihilate!" He walked off in the direction of the mountains.

Luna turned to follow but paused. She walked over to Jonathan, snatched his cigar from him and flicked it onto the ground. She then followed Marius over to the others without saying a word.

Marius walked out in front of the Guild and turned to face them. "Listen up everyone! As you know, Demon Fang is located in these mountains, and the chances are that they're waiting for us. So I want everyone to arrange themselves into groups of three or more, you'll stick by whoever you choose no matter what happens in battle. I'm not going to risk anyone being caught off guard because they went in alone. Understood?"

The majority of the Guild nodded, a few voicing their agreements.

Marius folded his arms, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the mountains. "Take a minute to find a team, we can't afford to enter battle unprepared."

The wizards immediately began wandering through the crowd in search of someone to join a team with. Everyone had changed into their winter clothes to cope with the cold northern weather.

Kayden crossed her arms proudly. "Good thing we don't have to worry about that. We already got the greatest team in Angel Wing!" She wore a black puffy jacket with some blue accents and a green scarf, along with a winter cap and some fingerless gloves. She also put on jeans and black boots.

Julie laughed cheerfully. "Sure saves the trouble of hunting down teammates." She hadn't changed her clothes at all, instead opting to simply stand around in her everyday clothes.

Kayden glanced at her quizzically. "Are you sure you're dressed warm enough?"

Julie shrugged. "You're the one wearing fingerless gloves."

Kayden frowned. "They look cool!"

"Indeed, they do most eloquent Kayden," Raik said, joining them. He was wearing black leather pants, black combat boots, a long sleeve blue and grey striped shirt, a grey leather jacket, and a gray toque.

Kayden smiled at him. "Thank you, but seriously, stop with the flirting."

Raik shrugged. "The what?"

Morrigan strolled up to them, wearing her typical armor and carrying a black bag. She noticed Julie. "You really should wear warmer clothes. If you stay out here too long wearing that you're likely to get frostbite."

Julie waved her hand dismissively. "Ah please, running around and fighting will warm me right up. Besides, where's your winter outfit."

Morrigan smirked. "I have it right here." She held up her bag. "I just have to put it on." After saying that she promptly reached down and started to undo her leg plates.

Kayden ran over and grabbed her arm. "Don't change here!"

Morrigan blinked at her several times. "What's the problem?"

Kayden gestured towards Raik. "We're standing in public!"

Arthur hesitantly walked up to them, giving the two girls a wary glance. "Hey guys, what are you doing?"

"Currently fighting over where Morrigan will change," Julie said casually.

"Oh, alright," Arthur said with a shrug. A few weeks of being on a team with them had gotten him quite used to that argument.

Kayden pointed at a nearby boulder. "Go change behind that rock."

Morrigan sighed overdramatically. "Fine." She trudged off towards the boulder, muttering under her breath.

Kayden slipped her hands into her pockets and sighed. "It was a lot harder to convince her then it should've been."

Julie shrugged. "Morrigan's just weird."

Luna stomped around the crowd, scaring away any boys who approached her with a harsh glare.

"Hey there," Julie greeted.

Kayden folded her hands behind her. "Are you having trouble finding a team?"

Luna scratched the back of her head. "Kind of." She was dressed in a hips length, dark brown with furs at the hood. Black legging, white knitted clothes and dark brown boots.

Kayden set a hand on her shoulder. "In that case, why don't you join us for the mission? You can be an honorary member of Team Julie."

Luna regarded Raik and Arthur uncertainly.

Raik folded his hands behind his back. "You are welcome to join us, fair lady."

Arthur just grunted.

"I think I'll pass," Luna said.

Julie set a hand on her other shoulder. "Ah c'mon, I'm sure you can put up with them for one mission."

Luna hesitated for a second, before exhaling. "Fine. I'm in."

"Awesome!" Kayden exclaimed.

"It'll be a pleasure to have you," Raik said with a bow. He stopped for a second. "Forgive me, but I don't think you've ever told me your name."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, because it's none of your business," she snapped.

Raik nodded. "Understood. In that case, I shall come up with an alternative term to address you." He closed his eyes and began to ponder appropriate nicknames for her.

"Excuse me?" Luna asked.

Raik set his hand on his chin. "Let's see, Daisy, Tulip…"

"Weed," Arthur muttered.

Luna formed a fist. "Don't make me hurt you!"

"No too delicate," Raik continued, seemingly unaffected by her shout. "How about Rose? Thorny but beautiful."

Arthur smirked. "Yeah, it's real fitting."

Luna huffed. "Whatever." She turned away from them, hoping they'd forget about the nickname before long.

Morrigan rejoined them, now wearing a black, tightly fitting shirt, with a thick, gray fur collar, as well as light gray over sleeves reaching to her upper arm with hems secured by two sets of double stitching. She wore brown gloves over his hands and forearms and had dark brown, baggy pants tucked inside brown boots.

Kayden looked around her. "Where'd you put your armor?"

Morrigan banged her fist against her chest. "Still wearing my breastplate and most of my upper body armor underneath."

"Really, why so?" Julie asked.

Morrigan shrugged. "I feel more comfortable with it on."

Elsewhere Diana lurked near the edge of the crowd, reluctantly searching for any familiar faces. She wasn't a team player; she usually just took solo jobs. But if she had to get a team…

She noticed Emma and Marcus standing around near the corner of the group. Emma had re-quiped into her winter attire while her brother kept his everyday clothes on, unaffected by the cold.

Diana hesitantly approached them.

Emma saw her approach and waved. "Hey!"

Diana didn't return the greeting. She merely sat down on a rock next to them.

Marcus furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

Diana crossed her arms and sighed. "I want to join your team," she murmured.

Emma's face brightened. "You do?" she asked excitedly.

Diana looked alarmed at her enthusiasm and coughed. "Just for this mission. Since I have to find a team, it might as well be you," she said, trying to sound as reluctant as she possibly could.

Marcus smirked. "Glad to have you." He held out his hand.

Diana just stared at it for a second, before reluctantly reaching out and shaking it. "Yeah, sure."

"Awesome!" Emma exclaimed.

Zurdun overheard her as he walked past. "What's with the racket?" he asked them.

"Diana joined our team," Emma explained happily.

Zurdun stopped in place. "She did?"

Diana's eyes widened a bit. "Just for this mission," she said quickly.

Zurdun chuckled at her reaction. "Of course." He resumed his search. He'd put on A large puffy jacket with gloves and baggy black pants.

"Hey!" Zion called. He approached the earth wizard. "You looking for a group?"

Zurdun nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Zion pointed at himself and chuckled. "As a matter of fact, so am I."

Zurdun cracked a smile.

"And I figured you'd make a nice addition to it," Zion continued. He held out his hand. "What do you say? Care to help me teach those Demon Fang freaks a lesson."

Zurdun grabbed the other man's hand and shook it. "Gladly."

"You two are creating a team?" Himura asked. She had on her usual attire plus a black winter jacket. "Can I join as well?"

The two larger wizards glanced at each other, then back at the girl in front of them. "I don't know," Zion said reluctantly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you might be a little… inexperienced."

"And short," Zurdun added.

Himura glowered at them, setting her hands on her hips. "Are you suggesting that I am a child?" she asked harshly.

Zion cleared his throat. "It's not that."

"Then why are you saying I cannot join?" Himura probed, standing on her tiptoes.

Zurdun shook his head. "Relax, you can join."

Himura's expression immediately softened. "Very good."

Near the middle of the crowd, Sora had just joined a team consisting of Kyouko, Petra and Aikasa. The latter two were uncharacteristically quiet and depressed.

Sora cleared his throat. "Are you guys feeling okay?"

Aikasa crossed her arms and sulked. "I'm fine; I just hate the winter."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so you like it when its cloudy, rainy or windy, but not when it's winter?"

Aikasa nodded. "That sounds about right."

Sora frowned in confusion. "You have the weirdest opinion over weather I've ever seen in my entire life," he commented.

"Whatever."

Petra stared out in the direction of the Asylum, her hands folded in front of her.

Kyouko nudged her on the arm. She wore her regular winter attire with a sword strapped to her back. "Are you alright?"

Petra snapped out of it long enough to smile. "I'm all right."

Kyouko set her hands on her hips and frowned. "You don't have to lie; I can tell that you're worried about something."

Petra sighed. "It's Ayame, what if they hurt her?"

Kyouko set a hand on her arm. "Hey, don't worry." She grinned. "We'll kick Demon Fang's hides and bust her out within the hour!"

Petra smiled, a bit more genuinely. "I hope so."

Meanwhile, by the back of the crowd, Javael stood, wearing the same clothes as always, only with an ash gray scarf on his neck. He found himself lingering at the edge of the assembly, trying to think of someone to join a team with.

Silver slowly approached him. "See you're having about as much luck as I've had." He had dressed in an average white coat with heavy dark jeans.

Javael nodded. "Indeed."

Silver stood next to him for a second. Most of the Guild had already found teams, leaving only a few stragglers. "A shame we don't have a third. Then we could just create a team and be done with it."

Javael nodded again.

"Maybe you guys are having trouble because you're so unapproachable."

Javael and Silver turned around to see Ashley standing behind them. She wore A black trench coat with a white guild mark on the back, also a long white sweater and pants underneath.

She scratched the back of her head. "That was rude wasn't it? Sorry, I'm a bit blunt." She cleared her throat. She pointed at Silver. "But you're always reading and, therefore, haven't built any connections." She pointed at Javael next. "And you don't interact much with anyone."

Silver shrugged. "Fair enough I guess."

"Hm," Javael hummed.

Ashley smirked by lifting the corner of her mouth. "Which is exactly why I'm going to join your team."

"I had a feeling that's how this conversation would end," Javael muttered.

Silver returned the smirk. "Welcome aboard then."

.

At the Asylum…

.

Alexander sneered. "This conflict is pointless." He stood in a horizontal line with all the strongest Demon Fang wizards. "We could avoid it all by simply leaving before they even arrive."

"Be quiet would you?" Akita asked. "Your incessant whining is getting on my nerves."

"There's no point in fighting a battle that can be avoided," Alexander persisted, giving the woman a sharp glare.

Mathias stepped forward, wearing a long gray winter jacket, black snow pants, and gray winter boots. "Quit your bickering. A battle with Angel Wing is inevitable, and it's better to deal with them now before they can grow."

Fenris pounded his fist against his palm. "Besides, who doesn't like a good brawl?"

Alderic closed his eyes. "If the only Guild in the east is wiped out, the Council will hesitate to approve more. That will give us the advantage in the overall war."

"If you insist," Alexander said, directing an icy glare at the members who'd spoken.

Kyle watched the horizon, his hands folded behind him. "I wonder how they're going to launch their attack." In front of the Asylum was a stretch of flat land with a few boulders dotting the area. "There's not enough cover for a stealth approach."

Amelia plucked a hair from an unsuspecting minion and stuck it into one of her dolls. "Which is why they are clearly going to try and lure us over to the slopes over there." She pointed at a nearby mountain. "That way they can attack from above."

A mist fell over the ground in front of them, making it hard for the Demon Fang members to see. Kyle set a hand on his chin. "Perhaps, but if they truly want to take us off guard, they'll try to hit us with a pincer movement."

The fog started to get worse. "At this rate we're not even going to see them coming," Kadir grumbled.

Kyle frowned, squinting into the haze. He vaguely made out strange shapes. He leaned forward a bit. "Hang on a sec…" Other Demon Fang members noticed as well, some taking a few steps towards it.

The mist suddenly lifted, revealing the forces of Angel Wing now standing within twenty yards of them. Marius stood up front, a confident smirk on his face. "They're all yours Slayers!" he called over his shoulder. Five members among the Light Guild's ranks all inhaled, magic energy pouring into their mouths.

"Cosmic Phoenix!"

"Ice Dragon!"

"War God!"

"Magma God!"

Mathias grit his teeth. "Defensive spells, now!"

Alderic stretched out both of his hands. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall!" He formed a barrier of frost in front of him.

"Mist Wall!" Waving his hand, Fenris created a shield of tightly compacted water particles.

"Breath!" Raik yelled as he released an attack of cosmic energy aimed at Fenris.

"Roar!" Marcus shouted, exhaling a blast of ice straight at Alderic.

Despite the ferocity of the spells, the dark wizard's defenses managed to hold. The rest of their Guild wasn't so lucky.

"Bellow!" Morrigan and Zion cried in unison, each breathing out their respective elements at Demon Fang. Some of the dark mage's cast defensive spells but none of them held under the power of the God Slayers magic.

Aikasa rushed forward, closing in on Kyle. "Flame Titan: Scream!" Her voice vibrated through everything, momentarily disabling her opponent's movement; she spewed black flames from her mouth five yards ahead of her.

Kyle leaped to the side, causing the flames to pass to his left. Upon making contact with a minion, the fire exploded, taking out another three grunts.

Angel Wing and Demon Fang forces clashed all over the place, resulting in a chaotic battle that left many injured on both sides.

Kyle scratched the back of his head. "Well, credit where credit's due, I did not expect this approach," he said to himself, keeping his eye on Aikasa as she fought against another group of minions.

He scanned the assembled Angel Wing members, trying to determine how strong they were. His gaze settled on a rosy-haired woman, fighting alongside Team Julie. He squinted at her. "No way," he whispered.

"You're going down!"

Kyle snapped out of it just in time to see Kyouko advancing on him. He backed away, lifting his hand. "Vlotter!" he yelled quickly. He lifted the fox girl high into the air. "Nice try." He brought his hand down, causing her to fall.

"I got you!" Petra called, setting her hands on the ground in front of her, a mound of sand formed, cushioning her comrade's fall.

Kyouko sprang back to her feet "Scream from hell!" She took a deep breath and when she released it, causing her to let out a high pitch screech.

Kyle covered his ears and let out a cry of agony. It finally let up, but his ears were still ringing. He stumbled backward.

Sora sprang over them. "Rip Saw!" His back lined up with spikes, and he rolled towards his opponent.

Aikasa finished off the nearest minions and ran over to join the fray.

Kyle clapped his hands together. "Locus!" He created an invisible box around himself.

Sora bounced off the wall, falling on his back. His spikes all disappeared. He stood back up and grinned. "Can't stay in there forever."

Kyle exhaled, setting a hand on his chest. Fighting four wizards at once wasn't exactly easy. He glanced behind him.

Mathias approached them. "Having trouble?" he asked humorlessly.

Kyle chuckled. "Fighting close quarters just isn't my thing." He allowed the box around him to dissipate. "I'm more of a behind the scenes type guy."

Petra cocked her head. "Mathias? What are you doing here?"

Aikasa glanced at her. "You know that guy?"

Kyle cocked an eyebrow. "She does? Interesting."

Mathias sneered at them. "Little Petra, can't say I'm surprised to see you here." He covered his fists in fire. "I'll take care of the melee fighting."

Kyle nodded. "Of course."

"Why are you doing this?" Petra asked, her eyes widening.

Kyouko reached down and pulled out her sword. It was a beautiful medium sized weapon, silver in color, with a royal blue and diamond crusted handle. "I don't think he's in the mood to answer."

Mathias put his hands together, forming a massive ball of fire. "Supreme Hellfire Bolt!" He launched the spell at the assembled wizards. It hit the ground in front of Sora, throwing him into Aikasa. The two tumbled onto the ground.

Petra grit her teeth, swinging her arm. "Tsunami!" A wave of sand rose up from the ground, coming down on the two dark mages.

Mathias flicked his wrist, sending out another fireball that decimated the sand before it could reach them.

Kyouko dashed forward, brandishing her sword.

Kyle lifted his hand overhead. "Dark Gravity." He brought it down.

Kyouko fall on her face, dropping her sword in the process. She tried to get up, but the spell weighed her down.

Aikasa recovered from her daze, finding Sora laying on top of her. She nudged him a couple of times. "Are you okay?" She sat up a bit.

Sora's head rested on her breasts, a perverted grin on his face.

Aikasa's cheeks turned red. "Are you? Get off!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him off of her.

Sora landed in a snowbank, where he quickly scrambled to his feet and coughed. "So, let's take these guys down," he said, trying to distract her from what just happened.

Aikasa huffed. "You're lucky we have more important things to take care of."

Sora laughed nervously.

"Javelin!" Petra yelled, forming a spear of sand and flinging it at Kyle, he dodged, but in doing so he lost concentration on his spell.

Kyouko picked herself off, brushing snow off of her face. She reached down and grabbed her discarded weapon. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Petra said.

Aikasa joined the girls, narrowing her eyes at their two opponents. "So, anyone have a plan?"

Sora took position to the girls right. "Not really."

Kyle laughed loudly. "What a shame!" A grin crossed his face. "I've just come up with a brilliant one."

.

Elsewhere…

.

On the west side of the battlefield Team Julie and Luna fought off a platoon of Demon Fang grunts. Many of the dark mage's fell to the teams brutal offensive before they were even able to get off a spell.

Kayden took down another with a quick kick to the chest. She noticed another three moving in on them. "Got some incoming!" she called.

Luna nodded, lifted her hand. "Spinus Rose." A long whip made out of thorns of roses appeared in her hand. She swung it at them, taking them down with one powerful blow.

Arthur hit another incoming minion with a blast of Raven Flame. "For all the hype, these guys aren't all that tough."

Morrigan raised her arm to take down another when dark tendrils suddenly wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her side. She frowned and tried to break herself free. "Who the heck?" she muttered, taking a look around.

Kadir strolled out of the crowd, holding his hand out in front of him. "So sorry to disappoint," he said, slowly forming a fist.

The tendrils encircled Morrigan's throat and began to tighten. She struggled for breath, trying not to show any signs of pain.

Raik grabbed one of his knives. "I'll free her," he said quickly, running in her direction.

Alexander sauntered through the battle, his expression calm. "Take Over Dark Soul!" His skin turned to a grayish color; his eyes turned red and black lines appeared up and down his arms and legs, over the side of his body, and on his face going over his eyes. He pointed his finger at the Phoenix slayer. "Dark Beam." A black laser shot out of his finger.

Raik slid to a stop and breathed in. "Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" He exhaled a stream of energy that collided with the beam, canceling both spells out.

Kayden summoned her sword. "You take him! I'll get her!" She ran towards Morrigan, who continued to fight to keep breathing.

Akita joined her comrades, three small rocks in her hands. "Bad girl, no interrupting punishments." The stones began to glow. "Explosion!" she yelled, flinging the stones at her.

Luna stepped forward, swinging her whip down, knocking the three rocks out of the sky before they even made it halfway. They full onto the ground with a dull thump, before exploding in a blast of fire.

Kayden gave her a thumbs up, she slid to a stop in front of Morrigan and sliced the tendrils off of her.

Morrigan inhaled deeply, rage crossing her face. "You're going to pay for that!" She ignited her feet with crimson magic. "War God's Shock Leg!" She jet propelled herself at Akita, slamming her foot into her chest.

Akita gagged, a mixture of pain and anger flashing through her face. She flew into Kadir, knocking him down along with her.

Alexander glanced at her, collecting dark energy around his hands.

Julie hopped behind a boulder, setting both hands on it. "Absolute Velocity!" The rock slid forward in the black mage's direction.

Alexander noticed it coming and ran into it, trying to push against it. No matter how hard he tried it continued to move at a constant speed.

Morrigan sprinted at the rock, surrounded her fist in energy. "War God's Crushing Fist!" She punched straight through the boulder, hitting him in the face.

Alexander was also launched back into his comrades, just as they were recovering, knocking the three of them down again. The Boulder continued to slide in their direction at the same speed.

Alexander picked himself up and swung his arm in an upwards arc. "Dark Cutter!" He sent out a wave of darkness and split the rock cleanly in two.

Akita scrambled back to her feet and growled. "Disintegration Beam!" She shot a purple laser at her opponents.

Arthur thrust both his hands forward. "Black Fire Barrier!" He created a wall of flames in front of them, shielding them from the incoming beam.

Luna formed her arms into X position. "Budonoki!" A lot of long, thick vines shot out of the ground around the dark wizards. They entangled them and tightened their grip.

Akita and Alexander were both captured by the vines and began fighting to free themselves. Each of their arms was bound, making it impossible for them to use any of their magic.

Vines surrounded Kadir and began to tighten, her ground his teeth together. "Shadow Strike!" He vanished, causing the plants to tie themselves into a knot.

Luna blinked a couple of times.

Kadir rose up from her shadow. "Hey there plant woman."

Luna gasped, whirling around to face him.

Kadir delivered a punch straight to her face, before turning and doing the same to Julie, who stood nearby.

Luna lost concentration, causing the vines to loosen. Her two captives seized the moment and tore themselves free.

Julie stood up, rubbing her jaw. "Nice swing."

Luna got up, brushing the snow off herself. "Be glad you're still alive," she growled at him.

Kadir laughed. "You're not doing half bad."

Alexander joined him. "Hmph."

Akita took out her whip and giggled. "The naughty ones are always the most fun to break."

Kayden exhaled. "Alright, you guys ready for round two?"

Morrigan covered her hand in red magic. "Always."

Raik summoned cosmic energy to his hand. "How could I not? Being surrounded by such inspiring young women."

Arthur shook his head. "Man, you're hopeless."

.

Elsewhere…

.

The team of Zion, Zurdun and Himura fought in the thick of the battle, many lower ranking wizards on each side had been injured, leaving each side hesitant to attempt another charge.

Zurdun breathed in deeply. "Rock Wave!" He slammed his hands into the ground causing a wave of earth to shoot forward, knocking out a cluster of Demon Fang wizards.

Zion formed a lump of black magma on his hand. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He threw it an especially troublesome wizard, defeating him as well.

"Re-quip!" Himura summoned a black and gray gun to her right hand. She aimed it at a charging wizard and squeezed the trigger. A purple magic bullet shot out and took him out. Due to their efforts, Angel Wing began to take the advantage. They pushed ahead another ten yards, closing in on the Asylum.

A beam of darkness flew in inch over Zurdun's shoulder, hitting a group of Angel Wing wizards and sending them all flying. He clenched his fists and searched for the one responsible.

Kodama approached them, clad from head to toe in black Samurai armor, complete with a helmet that hid his face. "How annoying," he muttered.

Fenris walked at his side, a grin on his lips. "Finally! Some worthy opponents!"

Himura trained her gun on them. "We will not be defeated by you!"

Zion slammed his fist against his palm. "And after we kick your sorry hides, we're taking Ayame back with us!" He created a rotating disk of black magma and hurled it at the two of them. "Magma God's Sin!"

Fenris folded his hands. "Water Wall!" He created a barrier of water in front of himself and Kodama, deflecting the spell.

Kodama closed his eyes; three black magic circles appeared above him. "Dark Artillery!"

Zurdun pounded his hands into the ground again. "Rock Wave!" A second wave of earth, larger than the last, raced towards them.

A black projectile shot out from each of Kodama's circles, hitting and destroying the incoming spell. They proceeded to fire again, this time at the wizards themselves.

Himura took a step forward. "Pingbi!" She formed a transparent shield with stars directly in front of them, successfully guarding them against the spell.

Kodama raised an eyebrow. "You're a long way from home."

Himura frowned at him. "What?"

Kodama's circles fired another round of projectiles at them, this time, they all dodged.

Himura aimed her gun at Kodama and began firing magic bullets. "We need to stop those circles!" she yelled to her teammates.

Zion nodded. "I'm in it!" He sprinted towards the two black wizards.

Fenris smirked, strolling towards him. "You should be good enough." He held his arms out horizontally. "Water Arena!" A large field of water poured out his hands and surrounded him and Zion, he created a dome of water around them to block any escape.

Zion slid to a stop, taking a quick look around. "What the heck?"

Fenris laughed loudly. "Now for the main event." He put his hands together and stretched them out in front of him. "Scalding Blast!" A jet stream of water launched out from his hands, pelting the magma wizard in the chest.

Though he was immune to heat, the stream still knocked Zion off his feet. He formed a lump of lava in his hand. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He threw it at his opponent.

The spell hit Fenris on the chest, causing him to cease his attack and wince.

Zion jumped back to his feet and formed a lava disk. "Magma God's Sin!" He flung it at the water mage as he was recovering.

Fenris waved his arm. "Mist Shield!" A barrier of water formed in front of him. The spell struck it head on, sending a blast of steam in every direction.

Zion covered his hand in more magma, some of it oozing onto the ground. "Trapping me with you was the biggest mistake of your life."

Fenris chuckled, walking out of the steam. "On the contrary, it may have just been my great idea ever."

Outside the arena, Himura and Zurdun continued to dodge attacks from Kodama's magic circles. They seemed to move with a will of their own, dividing their attention between the two wizards. Kodama himself merely stood underneath them, doing nothing.

Zurdun ground his teeth together. "We need to get closer!"

Himura nodded. "I agree."

Zurdun slowly nodded. "Good, because I need you to draw their attention so I can take him down. Can you do that?"

Himura shrugged. "Of course."

"Good, on three, one, two," Zurdun counted. He summoned a pickaxe to his hands. "Three!" He charged straight at the black wizard.

Himura ran off to the right, aiming her gun at Kodama and opening fire on him.

Kodama held his sword in front of him vertically, calmly deflecting each bullet off the flat of his blade. One of his circles turned towards her and returned fire.

Himura waved her free hand. "Pingbi!" She conjured up another shield that blocked the attack.

Zurdun continued his charge, raising his pickaxe and letting out a yell.

Kodama's two unoccupied circles aimed at him and fired.

Zurdun dodged the first spell, but the second hit him in his stomach, throwing him onto his back. He sat up and grit his teeth.

All three circles zeroed in on him and shot another round.

Himura slid in front of him, guarding the two of them with her shield. "Are you okay?"

Zurdun nodded. "Yeah, I'm all right." He picked himself back up. "Don't think we got the manpower to get past those things."

Himura smirked. "On the contrary." She reached into her pocket and yanked out a Jade key. She held out to her right. "Open, gate of the dog! Gou!" She turned the key. With a bright magic flash, the spirit appeared.

Gou was a brown haired, twelve-year-old boy with big, blue eyes. He wore a red button up shirt and jeans. He grinned. "Hime! How are you? Are you doing well? Because I've been doing great!" he said quickly

Zurdun blinked a few times. "Whoa."

Himura smiled at him. "I am well, thank you. But right now I need your help." As she spoke, her shield continued to be pounded by more dark missiles. "Can you help me distract those circles so Zurdun can get close?"

Gou gave her a thumbs up. "Of course I can! You can count on me Hime!"

Zurdun cleared his throat. "Alright, on three. One, two, three!"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Diana swung her katana, dispatching another two nearby wizards. She glanced over at her team. Their fight had driven them away from the main battle and over to the outskirts.

"Nice job," Marcus complimented. He punched out a minion. "They've sure got a lot of these guys don't they?"

"Hm," Diana muttered halfheartedly.

Emma stepped over the unconscious body of one of her defeated opponents. "Whew, that was a little tiring," she said, brushing snow off her body.

"Shake it off," Marcus said. He started walking in the direction of the central conflict. "We need to rejoin the main battle. They'll need all the help they can get." As he walked he heard a quiet voice, muffled by the wind.

"Dark Ice Magic: Rose Iron." Icy vines sprang out from the ground, wrapping themselves around the three wizards and lifting them into the sky. Three rose buds appeared over them, all closed.

Emma flailed around to no avail. "What is this!" she yelled, kicking her legs. Light blue energy started flowing from her body, into the vines, causing the buds to start opening.

Diana calmly regarded their situation. "Looks like we missed one." Red magic energy began to be sucked from her body as well.

Marcus sniffed the air. "I smell him; he's close."

Alderic emerged from beneath the snow and approached them. "I had a feeling that would take you off guard," he commented. "Seems I was right."

Diana glanced at the rosebud over her, now a tenth of the way open. "I take it this spell absorbs our magic?"

Alderic nodded. "Correct."

Diana didn't make any move to struggle. "Clever, but you miscalculated."

Alderic cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

Marcus lowered his head, biting off a chunk of the ice holding him. He spit some of it out. "Ugh, mixed it with shadow magic, tastes disgusting." He ate away the rest of it, successfully freeing himself.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "I see."

Marcus launched forward. "Ice Dragon Claw!" He landed a blow on his opponent's head. He punched him again with his other fist. "You don't stand a chance against a Slayer pal, not with that magic!"

Alderic frowned. "Dark Ice Magic: Crystal." Four chunks of ice shot out of the ground, hitting Marcus in his stomach and head, sending him reeling backward.

Emma winced. "That's gotta hurt."

"Don't underestimate me dragon," Alderic said coldly. He formed three projectiles. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets." He shot them at him.

Marcus stood up, evading the first two and devouring the third. "Ice Dragon Roar!" He bellowed a river of ice at his opponent.

Alderic set his hand on the ground. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall." A barrier rose up from the ground, halting the attack before it could reach him. He held out his hand. "Dark Ice Magic."

Marcus ran forward. "Ice Make! Sword Strike!" He leaped over the wall and attacked.

"Glacier Spear!" Alderic yelled, creating a spear in his hands just in time to parry. He engaged the Slayer in a melee battle, retreating from his relentless assault. He blocked with his spear to the best of his ability.

Emma watched the scene, letting out a sigh. "So, how long do you think it'll take Marcus to get an opportunity to free us?"

Diana glanced at the buds, hers was two-tenths open, while Emma's was at a quarter. "Too long," she muttered, reaching down. She managed to get ahold of her key ring and felt around, eventually finding the one she wanted. "Open! Gate of The youthful god of the Sun and the Music! Apollo!" She turned the key.

A magic circle appeared at the tip of her key; a young man emerged from it. Apollo was a young Greek god with honey-blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a yellow Greek outfit with music notes on it. "Greetings Lady Dia! How may I help you?"

Emma's eyes shone. "That is so cool!"

Diana nodded to her left. "Can you take care of this?"

Apollo smirked. "Why certainly!" He flicked his wrist.

Suddenly all sound ceased coming from Emma, despite the fact that her mouth was moving. She quickly picked up on this, as evidenced by the fact that she began to scowl and shout at the spirit.

Diana sighed. "Take care of the vines, not, the noise," she growled.

Apollo scratched the back of his head "Oh, uh, whoops." He snapped, causing a high pitched noise to emit from all around them. The ice shattered like glass, freeing both of them.

Emma landed on her feet, shooting another glare at Apollo. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Apollo said.

"Wasn't talking to you," Emma said dryly.

"Re-quip," Diana said, she summoned a blade with a black hilt and blood red blade. "Assassins Blade." She looked to where Marcus was fighting. "Apollo, can you mute our movements?"

"Of course," Apollo said, clapping his hands together.

Diana nodded at him, before sprinting towards the battle, signaling for Emma to follow her. She closed in on the battle, raising her sword to strike.

Marcus noticed their approach. "Snow Cloak!" He said, a blanket of snow poured out of his hands, hiding him and them from view.

Alderic searched the fog. "Well, this explains how Angel Wing was able to sneak up on us before." He cautiously looked around.

"Yeah, I had to combine my magic with a few others, but we pulled it off," Marcus said. He stepped into his opponent's view.

Alderic furrowed his eyebrows. "Why make a cloak if you're just going to step out of it?"

Diana leaped out from the fog behind him, bringing her sword down on him.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Marius blew away another squad with a mighty spell. He'd torn a path straight through the middle of the battle, leaving a dozen Demon Fang minions in his wake. For a team he had a few lower ranking members of Angel Wing, who all stood behind him, watching his back.

Seven Demon Fang mage's stood between them and the Asylum, among them was Amelia, holding two dolls in her hands. She glared at the others, who backed away in fear. "Stand your ground fools!" She used to her dolls to force two of them to charge.

Marius surrounded his hand in white fire. "Holy Missile!" He launched a fireball with a punching motion, sending the two of them reeling backward into Amelia. "Treating your comrades like pawns, how typical of a Dark Guild," he said in disgust.

Amelia shoved the two grunts off of her and sat up. "Oh, believe me, I'd manipulate one of you over them in a heartbeat," she said calmly. "Especially you."

Marius raised his hand overhead, shaking his head at her. "I can see pain in your eyes. Hurt, anger, abandonment."

Amelia glared at him. "Shut up!" She lifted her doll, making one of the grunts stand back up and charge again.

Marius engulfed his hand in fire. "Judgment!" He brought his arm down and unleashed a torrent of white fire that struck all in front of him. When it cleared, all Demon Fang wizards were lying unconscious on the ground.

Amelia groaned, forcing herself onto her hands and knees.

Suddenly, Matsudo appeared among the fallen; his hands folded behind him. "Attacking minions? Why that's hardly nice. How do you expect them to defeat you?" he asked with fake sympathy.

Marius narrowed his eyes. "Matsudo," he growled, clenching his fists.

His old friend bowed. "A pleasure to see you again." He held his hand out over Amelia. "Get up, Demon Fang still has need of you." Light poured down from his palm and washed over her.

Amelia's injuries all disappeared. She took a deep breath, standing back up.

Marius covered both hands in more fire. "If you're here I assume Dragon's just inside."

Matsudo chuckled. "Indeed."

"Why are you working for him? After everything we did to stop him!" Marius yelled, his flames growing more intense. "I don't know he even survived our last battle, but I swear this time I'll kill him!"

A look of fake concern crossed Matsudo's face. "Temper, temper Marius, you should calm down. As for how he survived, it's simple." An aura of light surrounded him. "I healed him."

Marius yelled. "Holy Missile!" He launched another fireball, far bigger than the previous one.

Matsudo smirked. "Light speed." He grabbed Amelia and ran at a blinding speed, leaving a trail of light behind him, he ran around them several times.

Marius narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out where he'd strike.

Matsudo suddenly turned and raced at one of Marius' teammates, kicking him in the neck. The man let out a loud shout, causing Marius to whirl around to face them.

Another member of Marius' team raised his arms. "Fire Shot!" he yelled, shooting a fireball at him.

Matsudo ran straight at him, spinning around the spell with ease, he came to a stop behind the man. "Too slow." He took him down with a swift punch to the stomach.

Marius prepared another spell but Matsudo once again moved.

"I've been working hard since our last encounter," Matsudo said, stopping over by the door. He held his arm out. "I've mastered Arc of Light; now I'm even stronger then Master Japheth himself!" He dashed straight at him.

A moment before Matsudo landed his attack an orb of light struck him in the chest, throwing him onto his back.

Marius blinked, turning his head to the right.

Ashley stood with her arm outstretched.

Silver whistled. "Nice shot."

Javael nodded in agreement.

Matsudo scrambled back to his feet, rare surprise showing on his face. "How did you even know where I'd attack," he muttered to himself.

Ashley lowered her arm. "I can sense disturbances in the light around me. That allows me to see everywhere you go."

Matsudo surrounded himself in another aura. "Is that so? Well, let's test the extent of those abilities then. Light Speed!" He ran at her.

Ashley threw herself to the side, barely dodging an attack by the wizard. She turned and fired off a volley of light.

Matsudo folded his hands behind him. "Heaven's Gate." He created a barrier of light in front of him, deflecting the barrage. He narrowed his eyes. "Where did you learn that?" he whispered to himself.

Silver nodded at Marius. "We'll take care of him. You go and get Ayame back!"

Marius hesitated. "Are you sure you can handle this? He's a lot stronger than he looks."

Javael crouched down. "Flow 5." He began to glow red. "Don't worry about us."

Silver surrounded his hands in electricity. "We'll be fine."

Marius slowly began to nod. "I'll leave this to you." He approached the doors of the Asylum, setting his hand on it. "I have some unfinished business with Master Dragon." The doors to the Asylum blew open, allowing him access.

Matsudo frowned. "What a nuisance."

Amelia watched the scene, hidden away behind a large boulder. She grabbed a doll and stuck a hair into it. A sadistic grin spread across her face.

Ashley breathed in. "Alright, let's do this."


	14. First Blood: Clash at the Asylum part 2

**Thank you all for your reviews. I'm glad you're liking the fight scenes so far... Because I seriously overdid it this chapter. I'm thinking about adding some slower scenes into it, but this chapter is probably too long already. Let me know if you think I should add some breaks in the action or not. Or whether or not I should shorten the scenes entirely. Anyways, hope you enjoy.  
**

 **This chapter concludes the battles between the first three teams and slightly continues the fight with the fourth.**

April 8 X784

Mathias covered his fists in fire. "Supreme Hellfire Gauntlets!" He swung his arm at the advancing Sora, hitting him in the neck and knocking him onto his back.

Aikasa surrounded her fist in black fire and charged at him. "Flame Titan: Override Fist!" She threw a punch at the large man's chest. "Take this!"

Mathias took a step back and waved his arm, conjuring up a barrier of flame. "Now, crystalize!" he yelled. The fire in front of him hardened into a glowing crystal-like substance.

Aikasa's eyes widened, she recovered and gritted her teeth, punching the wall with all of her strength. She broke off a piece of the wall but failed to penetrate. "The heck is this?" she muttered.

Sora sprang back to his feet, the tips of his fingers sprouting spikes. "Raptor Claws!" He charged at the Demon Fang wizard, slashing at his midsection.

Mathias covered his arm in more solidified flames, using it to block the slashes, bits and pieces of the crystal broke off with each swipe. He backpedaled with measured steps. He laughed loudly. "Is that all you can do angels?" He created a claw of hardened fire on his other hand and slashed it across his opponent's stomach.

Sora clutched his stomach and yelled, his claws vanishing.

Mathias brought his other fist forward and hit the boy in the forehead. "You're pathetic!"

"Sora!" Petra yelled. She jumped on top of Mathias' barrier, creating a mound of sand beneath her feet. She brought her hands together. "Tornado!" A swirling vortex of sand shot out of her hands.

Aikasa hopped up beside her. "Flame Titan: Scream!" She unleashed a second breath attack.

Mathias let out a shout, clasping his hands together. His eyes blazed like torches. "Fire Aura!" he bellowed, orange flames covered him from head to toe before solidifying into armor. Both attacks struck, beginning to wear away his armor.

Kyle stole a glance at them and sighed. "Great, now I got to help him out." He turned towards the battle and made a few gestures with his arms.

"Not so fast!" Kyouko shouted. She drew back her sword and charged. "You're forgetting about me!"

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't forget." He lifted his arm overhead. "Dark Gravity!" He lowered his hand.

Kyouko flicked her wrist, throwing a rock that struck him in the hand, causing him to lose concentration. "Like I'd fall for that again!" She swung at his neck with all of her might.

Kyle grit his teeth, ducking underneath the blow. He scrambled away from her. "You little!" He started to make another gesture.

Kyouko leapt forward, driving her palm into his chest. "Sound Palm!" She transmitted a powerful sound wave from her palm to her opponent's body, sending him flying.

Kyle fell onto the snow, rolling several yards. He climbed back to his feet, coughing into his arm. His eye twitched.

Kyouko charged at him again. "You're going down now!"

Kyle checked back with Mathias, seeing his armor almost worn away by the two wizard's spells. He smirked and clapped his hands together. "Contours!"

Petra's arms suddenly jerked up, causing her spell to hit Kyouko just as she entered striking range. She gasped. "What?"

Kyle moved his hand to the side. "Child's play," he said in a fake British accent.

Petra turned to her left, blowing Aikasa away. "What's going on!" she yelped.

Sora ran up behind her, tackling her to the ground.

Kyle ceased controlling her and strolled over to his comrade. He watched the Angel Wing mages all pick themselves back up. "I think we've softened them up enough for the final blow."

Mathias slowly nodded. "Just be ready." He walked out into the open, breathed in and shouted. "Is that really the best you could do Angel Wing! And to think you actually thought you could defeat Demon Fang!"

Aikasa dusted herself off and huffed. She slowly began to approach, her expression darkening with every step she took.

Kyouko stood up, spitting out a mouthful of sand. "Ack! Blagh!" She brushed some more grains off of her eyes. "Ugh, that sucked."

Petra bowed to them. "I'm sorry!" she cried.

Sora patted her on the back, scowling in their enemy's direction. "It's not your fault."

"We will not be stopped by the likes of you! Angel Wing will fall and with all of eastern Fiore will belong to us!" Mathias continued. He covered his armor in more flames. "Come and stop me if you can!"

Kyle slipped behind the remains of his comrade's old fire barrier. In spite of it being crystalized, the fire was still scalding, standing near it warmed him up.

The four Angel Wing wizard's surrounded Mathias. "Okay," Aikasa said, cracking her knuckles. "Let's really lay into him this time."

Sora reactivated his raptor claws. "You got it."

Mathias smirked. "You fools."

Kyle snapped. "Locus!" He surrounded all five of them in an invisible box. "Light em' up!"

Petra glanced over her shoulder. "Crap!"

Kyouko swallowed hard.

Mathias formed a massive ball of fire overhead. "Great Fire Annihilation!" A wave of fire shot out in every direction, filling every inch of the cube. A few different cries could be heard above the crackling of the fire.

Kyle laughed softly. "That should be the last we hear of them." He searched the surrounding conflict. "Now, let's see, who else needs to be taken care of." He took one step forward but stopped, hearing a sucking sound behind him.

He peered around the barrier and stared into the cube, his eyes widened. "What the heck?"

Aikasa stood with her head facing the heavens, sucking up the flames around her. "Ah!" she shouted. She looked down and rubbed her stomach. "Now that's some tasty fire you got there," She smirked.

Mathias stared at her in rare shock. "So it's true, a Slayer really can eat their element."

"Flame Titan: Override Fist!" Aikasa yelled. She launched forward, smashing her flame covered fist into his stomach, shattering his armor and sending him spiraling into the wall of the cube. She checked on the rest of her team. "You guys okay?"

The rest of them were all covered in moderate burns from the event but remained standing. "That could've been a lot worse," Kyouko said, rubbing her singed arm.

Petra nodded, wincing from the pain of her burns.

"At least, you took care of him," Sora said with a weak smile.

Mathias clenched a fist. "You little fools." He began to stand, his lower chest having a scald from the last blow he took. "Did you think you could defeat me that easily?"

Kyle allowed the invisible cube to vanish. He smirked and began to make a couple of gestures. "Now for the finale."

Aikasa covered her fists in fire. "I'll take care of him," she said confidently. "His magic won't have any effect on me."

Mathias held out his arms. "Supreme Hellfire! Crystal Wave!" He swung his arm forward, letting loose a powerful surge of solidified fire.

Aikasa raised her eyebrows. "But that's still going to hurt," she said nervously.

Petra stepped in front of them and folded her hands. "I got it! Sand Wall!" She formed a thick barrier of sand in front of them, stopping the spell in its tracks. She narrowed her eyes. "Now take him down!"

Aikasa smirked. "Will do, let's go Kyo!" She ran around the barrier, closing in on her target.

Kyouko followed after her. "You bet!"

Kyle concluded his gestures. "Contours."

Aikasa suddenly turned and decked Kyo as she came close to her.

Kyouko fell on her butt, her ears flattening. "Why did you do that?" she asked, rubbing her neck.

Aikasa eyes widened. "I swear I didn't!" She moved to attack again. "Someone's controlling my body!" She started swinging at the fox girl.

Kyouko evaded whatever punches she could, occasionally shielding herself with the flat of her sword. "It must be the other wizard! You guys got to take him down!" she called to their two unoccupied teammates.

Mathias scowled at them, bringing his hands together to create a fireball. "Now burn! Supreme Hellfire Bolt!" He launched it at them.

Petra intercepted the attack, creating a shield of sand to block it. "Sora! You go! I'll keep him off of them!"

Sora gave them a thumbs up. "You got it!" He took a deep breath, picking up the scent of the other dark mage. He smirked. "Got you." He sprinted over to the fire barrier, covering his entire body in spikes. "Cactus Coating!"

He jumped over the wall, successfully taking Kyle off guard, he tackled him, his spikes digging into his flesh.

Kyle yelled in pain and surprise. "Get off!" He managed to push the boy off him. He got up and limped a few yards away. He made a few more arm gestures.

Sora charged him again. "You can't run from me."

Kyle held both his arms out in front of him. "Halet," he said coldly. He made a squeezing motion with his hands.

Sora felt something choking him and came to a halt; he gasped for breath. "How are you."

Kyle tightened his grip. "You Angel Wingers are starting to get on my nerves." He heard the distinctive shout of Mathias behind him and glanced over his shoulder. His comrade had engaged the now free Aikasa and Petra while Kyouko was running straight at him. He stopped choking Sora and clasped his hands together. "Locus." He created a box around himself to keep out the two wizards.

Kyouko stopped just before running into it. She tightened her grip on her sword and started pounding the walls with all her might.

Mathias began to drive his two opponents back. He grabbed Aikasa's arm and used it to throw her into Petra. "Die!" He formed a crystalized fireball overhead and hurled it at them.

Aikasa stood back up and caught it in her hands, sliding back from the impact.

Mathias narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Crystalized or not, this is still fire!" Sora yelled, she brought the solidified flames close to her and bit off a chunk of it, chewing and swallowing it.

Petra grabbed onto her arm and used to pull herself up.

Aikasa ate half of the crystal, dropping the leftovers on the ground. "Now that's a little hard to stomach." She sucked in.

Mathias' right eye twitched.

"Flame Titan: Scream!" Aikasa spewed out a blast of fire, twice the size of her previous ones, blowing the big man away.

Mathias' back hit Kyle's wall; he glanced at his comrade over his shoulder.

Kyle nodded at Sora and Kyouko, then at him.

Mathias quickly deciphered the meaning and nodded in response.

Kyle flicked his wrist, deactivating his spell.

Mathias immediately spun around, drawing back his arms. "Supreme Hellfire Surge!" He unleashed a dual blast of fire that knocked both Sora and Kyouko off their feet.

Kyle raised his hand. "Vlotter!" He lifted Aikasa into the air, before promptly dropping her on top of Petra.

Mathias let out a breath. He took a quick look at the battle around them.

Angel Wing wizards ran in, grabbing Sora and Kyouko and helping them away. Aikasa and Petra were still well enough to stand and did so. A good portion of Demon Fang minions had all been taken down while they were distracted.

Mathias summoned a weak flame to his hands. He growled, the battle had drained him too much. "We need to regroup."

A nearby minion got hit in the head by a lightning bolt and fell on his back.

Kyle glanced at him, then at their remaining minions. "I can see the wisdom of that." He started to backpedal, ducking under another spell.

"All wizards! On me!" Mathias bellowed, gesturing for their men to follow him. He glared at the Angel Wing wizards.

Aikasa returned the glare with twice the fury; Sora growled at them, and even Kyouko narrowed her eyes.

Kyle folded his arms, regarding them calmly. "Let's do this again sometime!" he called out to them, before turning and strolling after his fellows.

.

Elsewhere…

.

A glow surrounded Kayden. "Takeover! Mythic Soul! Chimera!" She transformed and jumped at Alexander, throwing a punch at his head.

Alexander blocked each of her blows, countering by delivering two quick punches to her stomach.

Kayden winced for a second before kicking him straight in the chest.

Alexander groaned, bending over from the hit. He gritted his teeth and swung his arm at him. "Dark Cutter!" he yelled.

Kayden spun out of the way just before it hit and launched at him, engaging him in a melee battle that drove them a few yards away from the others.

Akita grabbed a handful of rocks. "Explosion!" The stones began to glow; she threw them at her assembled opponents.

Luna stepped in front of the others and raised her hands into X position. "Obice Radix!" A barrier of hard roots surrounded her and the rest of the group. The rocks banged against it and blew up, but none of them penetrated.

"Re-quip," Morrigan said, summoning her Sacred sword Clarent to her hands. She grabbed ahold of it and charged at them.

"Shadow Weapon," Kadir growled, creating a sword in one hand and a sword in the other. He met the God Slayers charge, crossing swords with her.

Morrigan quickly began to drive him back due to her superior skills at swordsmanship. She covered the blade of her weapon in fire and increased the intensity of her blows. She yelled, swinging hard, cutting her opponents shield in half.

Kadir narrowed his eyes. "Shadow Form!" He took on the form of dark gas.

Morrigan's sword passed straight through him without leaving a mark.

Kadir transformed back and punched her in the face. "That all you got?" he taunted, he lifted his sword and ran at her, stabbing downwards.

Raik leapt forward, swinging his leg. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!" He shattered the weapon with one swift kick.

Kadir glanced at the remnants of his sword, before glaring at him.

Morrigan pointed her arm at him. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She created a red orb around her arm before firing it straight into the wizard's chest.

Kadir let out a brief cry and fell on his back.

Raik held out his hand. "Nice shot my skilled friend."

Morrigan reluctantly grabbed his hand and used it to pull herself up. She brushed the snow off of her coat and huffed.

Akita put her hands together. "Disintegration Beam!" She shot a purple laser at the two of them.

"Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" Raik canceled the beam out by using his breath attack.

Morrigan raised her hands and formed a spear in between them. "War God's Explosive Spear!" She threw it at the woman full force.

Akita leapt to the side, the spear passed a mere foot to her right and smashed into a boulder. She slid to a stop and threw another three stones. "Explosion!"

The two Slayers jumped in opposite directions, the rocks blow up the ground between them.

Julie set a hand on another boulder. "Absolute Velocity!" She caused it to fly at Akita. "Arthur, hit her now!"

Arthur nodded. "Right." He turned to face the Demon Fang woman.

Akita stretched out her hand. "Oh please! You've got to be joking." She set her hand on the rock. "Explosion," she said lazily. The boulder blew up.

"Black Fire Volley!" Arthur yelled, unleashing a barrage of smaller fireballs.

Akita weaved and dodged, successfully avoiding each of them. "That all child?" she asked innocently. She grabbed her whip and swung at them.

Arthur ducked underneath it. "Black Fire Surge!" He shot another spell at her.

Morrigan noticed Kadir charging from the corner of her eye and turned, using her sword to block the attack. She narrowed her eyes. "You'll have to do better than that."

Kadir formed a claw around his other hand and slashed it across her mid-section. "Oh, believe me, I will."

Morrigan winced, her armor minimizing the damage of the blow; she engulfed her hand in crimson energy. "War God's Crushing Fist!"

"Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" Raik yelled. The two punched at him.

"Shadow Form," Kadir whispered, changing into gas again. The two Slayers stumbled right through him. He turned around and returned to his normal state. "Now, time to die!" He rushed them.

Kayden and Alexander continued to wage their battle, each struggling to gain the advantage. At one point, Alexander managed to land a punch on his opponent's stomach, causing her to roll backward.

He pointed at her. "Dark Beam!" A black laser shot out of his fingertip.

"Takeover! Mythic Soul, Blazing Phoenix!" Kayden transformed again, using her wings to propel her out of the way. She fired a bolt of flame out of her palms.

Alexander shielded himself with his arms, wincing as the fire slammed into him. He tightened his jaw. "Dark Make: Bow!" He formed the weapon in his hands and shot an arrow at her, clipping her right wing.

"Ah!" Kayden yelled, spiraling onto the ground.

Alexander stalked towards her. "You're finished!"

"Budonoki!" Luna cried. Seven long, thick vines shot out from around him and surrounded him.

"Dark Make: Sword!" Alexander formed a blade and hacked through them before they could entangle him. He pointed at her next. "Dark Beam!" He fired another laser at plant wizard.

Luna evaded the laser and formed a gun of wood in her hand. "Will Shot!" She fired wooden bullets at him.

Each of them pelted Alexander in his upper chest. He took a step back, groaning from the pain. He swung his arm in her direction. "Dark Cutter!" He released a black slash at her.

"Obice Radix!" Luna cried, she created another barrier of hard roots. But the spell broke through it and hit her head on. She clutched her wounded shoulder and hissed.

Alexander smirked, failing to notice Kayden standing back up.

"Takeover! Mythic soul, Chimera!" Kayden leapt forward and landed an uppercut on his chin. "We're not down yet demon freak!"

Alexander barely managed to remain standing; he recovered just in time to see Kayden land a second punch on his face.

Kayden assaulted him with her fists, pushing him back another ten yards. She finished off her barrage by pulling off a spin kick, hitting him on the side of the head.

Alexander collapsed, falling into the shadow of one of the mountains.

Luna smirked. "Nice job!"

Kayden grinned. "Thanks." She looked over at the other battles. "Now let's help out the others."

"Dark Healing," Alexander gasped, he fed off the energy of the shadow, his injuries closed and his bruises vanished. He slowly stood up, his magic significantly drained. "Dark Make: Spear!" He formed the weapon.

Kayden turned back around, furrowing her eyebrows. "Want some more huh?" she asked, raising her fists.

Alexander poised himself to strike. "Shadow Mutilation!" He plunged his spear into Kayden's shadow.

Luna frowned in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Kayden gasped, setting a hand on her shoulder. Agony ripped through her body, causing to cry out. She fell to her knees and bit her lip.

Alexander twisted the spear. "My name is Alexander, formerly known as the Dark Emperor Vite. I am the lord of shadows."

Kayden let out another cry.

"Kayden!" Luna yelled. She whipped out her revolver and unloaded it into the dark wizard.

Alexander staggered backwards at each shot until his back was pressed against the nearest mountain. He slid to the ground, his head rolling to the side.

Luna holstered her gun and ran over to her comrade. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

Kayden slowly nodded. "I'll live." She glanced at their opponent, making sure that he wasn't getting back up or healing himself.

Luna let out a breath. "His name, do you recognize it from anywhere?"

Kayden shook her head. "No, I don't. But it sure didn't sound good."

Meanwhile, a good distance away from them Julie and Arthur's battle against Akita continued to rage on. They fought next to a smaller mountain.

"Disintegration Beam." Akita fired the laser at them, attempting to catch the woman.

"Speed Force!" Julie shouted, charging up the steep slope of the mountain. "Friction Negation!" She used the second spell to make the ice in front of her climbable, despite how slippery it was. She successfully dodged the laser each time it came near.

Akita growled, redoubling her efforts. Her spell left a trail of destruction wherever it went, causing a lot of ice to start falling.

"Black Fire Bolt!" Arthur threw a fireball at her while she was distracted.

Akita ceased her attack just in time to evade. She smirked at him. "Naughty child." She withdrew her golden whip and lashed at him, hitting him on the cheek. "The grown ups are talking!"

Arthur winced, forming a whip of fire and swinging it at her.

Akita raised an eyebrow in surprise, ducking under it. "Oh, so that's how you want to play it huh?" She countered by using her weapon on him. They traded lashes for a moment, but the dark mage quickly took the advantage and dealt him a blow on the chest. She struck again, wrapping her whip around his legs and pulling him off his feet.

Arthur fell onto the snow. He formed a fist and launched another fireball at her.

Akita hopped to the right; the fire licked her side as it passed, she held back a grimace. "You're going to pay for that brat!" She conjured up another Disintegration Beam.

Julie spun around and sprinted towards them.

Akita noticed her coming and immediately fired the laser at her instead. But to her continuing frustration, she failed to hit her target.

Julie ran by in a flash, swiping the whip from her as she went by.

Akita stared at her empty hand in shock. "How'd you." She whirled around and scowled at her.

Julie held the whip up and waved it at her. "Looking for this?" She tossed it onto the ground.

Akita snarled at her. "I'll blow you to pieces!" She grabbed a handful of rocks. "Explosion!" She began to throw them at her one at a time, repeating the spell for every stone she threw.

"Frictionless!" Julie exclaimed. She gained frictionless skin, so slippery that a few of the rocks just slid right off of her without leaving a mark. She slid around on the flat ground around her, dodging each and every attack. "That all you got?"

Akita grabbed a larger rock and flung it at her. "Die! Explosion!"

Julie stopped and set her hand on the stone as it came near. "Absolute Velocity!" She sent the stone right back at her.

It hit Akita right in the face and exploded, she was immune to her own magic, but the rock itself caused her to fall on her butt.

Arthur raised his hands, summoning a stream of Raven Flame. "Take this!" He shot it all at her.

Akita rolled out of the way, waving her hand at them. "Crush."

A giant purple hand came out of the ground behind Arthur and Julie. It spread out its fingers, before coming down on them, causing a blast of snow to fly in every direction.

Akita stood up, dragging herself towards the downed wizards. She laughed sadistically, calling her sword to her hand. "Time for punishment." She licked her lip and lifted her weapon to strike.

Kadir suddenly flew in behind her, having been hit by Raik's breath attack. He flipped over, landing on his feet and sliding backwards.

Akita turned her head to the right just in time to see the two Slayers charging in.

Morrigan formed a fist. "War God's Crushing Fist!" She delivered a punch to the injured mage's face, knocking her unconscious.

Julie and Arthur each lay there, unable to rise.

Kadir thrust his hand at her. "Shadow Tendrils!"

Morrigan tightened her grip on Clarent, cutting through the shadows before they could entangle her. "War God! Bellow!" She spewed out a crimson tornado.

Kadir smirked. "Shadow Strike." He vanished before it hit him, and began to rise out of Raik's shadow. He formed a fist and punched at him.

Raik calmly ducked underneath his arm, lifting his foot. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!" He kicked backwards, hitting the S-class mage in the stomach.

Kadir slipped onto one knee and growled. "Shadow Weapon." He formed a hammer and swung it upwards, colliding with Raik's chin and throwing him onto his back. He turned and threw the hammer at the other Slayer.

Morrigan knocked it aside by using her sword. She let out a yell and charged at him.

"Shadow Weapon!" Kadir created two spears, throwing them at her one after the other.

Morrigan blocked the first but the second hit her in the ankle. She bit her lip and collapsed onto one knee.

Kadir laughed psychotically. "That all you got Slayers! I'm just getting warmed up!"

Raik sprang to his feet and slammed his fist into his opponent's head. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!"

Kadir recoiled, creating claws on each of his hands. "Now that's more like it!' He counterattacked.

Morrigan began to rise, her ankle still throbbing from the pain. She looked ahead, seeing her teammate engaged in a close-quarters dual. She raised her arm, so it was level with Kadir's chest. She waited for the right moment.

Raik held his own quite well, even managing to land a few hits. But Kadir used his claws to slash him on several different occasions. He took a step back to avoid a nearly successful kick.

Morrigan smirked. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She fired a red orb at him.

Kadir spun out the way, the orb barely missed and hit the mountain instead. He raised his claws and slashed both across Raik's already wounded midsection. He followed it up by grabbing his wrist and flinging him at his comrade.

Morrigan sidestepped at the last second.

Raik quickly stood up again and cleared his throat. "Appears we're dealing with an S-class wizard."

"Don't let your opponent intimidate you," Morrigan scolded.

Kadir laughed. "That's right Slayers!" He set a hand on his chest. "My name is Kadir Yasha! I'm an S-class mage of Demon Fang!" He grinned maliciously. "Also part of the team that took down that annoying Ayame."

"What?" Morrigan growled. She stabbed her sword into the ground next to her.

Kadir held his arms out. "I voted we kill her, but it seems I was wrong." He stared up towards the heavens. "If we killed her I might not have the chance to have so much fun! How many of you did you bring? Fifty? A hundred? And I get to exterminate all of them!"

Raik crossed his arms, keeping himself calm. "Total madman," he muttered, shaking his head.

Morrigan ground her teeth together.

Kadir began to stalk towards them. "I think I'll start with you."

"You helped start all of this?" Morrigan asked rhetorically. She surrounded both hands in War God energy. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did! War Gods Raven Flock!" She joined her hands, creating a unique, larger ball of energy resembling a flock of ravens as a result. She yelled and threw it at him with all of her might.

Kadir smirked. "Shadow Travel." He vanished into thin air. When the spell hit, it triggered a massive and destructive explosion. Ice rained down all over the area.

Raik whistled. "Impressive."

Morrigan panted, staring into the explosion. She shook her head. "He wasn't in there."

Raik took a quick sniff. "Yeah, I figured."

Kadir appeared in the shadow of the Asylum and charged. "That all? How are you going make me pay Angel!?" He began slicing at them with his claws.

Morrigan took up her sword and parried as best she could, suffering numerous scratches and cuts.

Raik drew two of his knives and assisted in the blocking. "Oh, she's not done yet," he replied calmly.

Morrigan suddenly ducked, slashing her sword across her enemy's knee, before dashing away from him. "Keep him covered!"

Kadir grunted, limping after her. "Get back here!"

Raik plunged one of his knives into his shoulder. "She's the least of your problems madman."

Kadir flinched, before roaring in anger and swinging his claws at him.

Raik entered into another melee, taking a few hits and landing some of his own. He continued his struggle against the dark wizard for another fifteen seconds. He finally dropped down and pulled back his arm. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He punched Kadir's healthy knee.

Kadir groaned, falling to his knees. "Take this!" He knocked the Slayer back with a sweep of his arm. "Shadow Tendrils!"

Raik set up, seeing the shadows wrap around his legs and eventually his upper body, finally encircling his neck. He struggled for breath.

"What exactly was your plan in all this?" Kadir asked mockingly. "Truly, I'm curious."

"In that case, turn around," Morrigan said. She molded a Hammer from crimson energy and leapt into the air. "War Gods Warhammer!"

Kadir glanced up at her. "Ah crap," he muttered.

Morrigan slammed it down on Kadir, pounding him into the ground. A wave of energy blasted out in every direction, causing snow to fly all over the place.

The tendrils on Raik all withered away. He stood up and strolled over to his partner.

Morrigan stood over Kadir, who barely clung to consciousness. She let out a breath, her shoulders slumping in exhaustion.

Raik slipped his hands into his pockets. "That was certainly a difficult fight, but you performed excellently."

Morrigan crossed her arms and smirked proudly. "Thank you."

"Dark Cutter!"

Both Slayers looked up to see an incoming black slash aimed at their legs, sweeping them off of their feet.

Alexander slowly approached, the unconscious form of Akita over his shoulder. He walked over to Kadir and knelt down, setting his hand on the ground. "Dark Portal." All of their shadows blended to form a circular hole in the snow. The three dark mages sank into it before it vanished entirely, them along with it.

Morrigan sat up, caressing her wounded leg. "Crap," she muttered.

Raik frowned. "At the very least, their out of the way for now."

Morrigan sighed. "I suppose." She rose to her feet. "Let's find the others."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Zurdun rushed at Kodama, holding his pickaxe in one hand. From the corner of his eye he saw Himura and Gou run off to the side, the former shooting more magic bullets at their opponent.

Two of Kodama's circles turned towards them and fired, leaving only one aimed at Zurdun.

Himura and Gou both evaded the attack, though just barely.

The last circle fired on Zurdun. He threw himself to the side; the projectile grazed him as it soared past. He smirked and increased his speed. "Time to rock your world!"

Kodama grabbed the hilt of his katana with both hands and made a slashing motion in his direction. "Dark Splitter!" The earth in front him began to split together with everything else in its path.

Zurdun hurled himself to the right, again avoiding the spell by less than a foot. He recovered and charged again.

Kodama's circles all trained on him and prepared to fire.

Zurdun brought his pickaxe down on him.

Kodama parried the attack. "That all you got?"

Zurdun formed a fist with his free hand. "Not at all, Boulder Smash!" He punched his opponent in the face with enough before to shatter a boulder.

Kodama's mask cracked but didn't break. He flew backward, flipping around and stabbing his sword into the terrain to slow himself down.

Himura ran forward, shooting her gun at him. "We have got him now!"

"Yeah!" Gou cheered, bounding after her.

Kodama allowed the bullets to hit him, grimacing slightly. "Dark Mines!" He slammed his palm into the ground. Dozens of magic circles appeared in the field in front of him, before disappearing.

Himura raised an eyebrow. "What is the significance of that?" She stepped on where on used to be, triggering a pillar of darkness that spewed up from under her. She screamed in pain, hurriedly falling back.

Gou looked up at her concernedly. "Are you okay?"

Himura sighed. "I will live."

Zurdun joined the two of them, narrowing his eyes at the terrain in front of them. "Great, how are we going to over that?"

Himura shrugged. "Don't know."

Kodama lifted one arm overhead, forming another magic circle above him. "Dark Gatling!" It began to spin rapidly, a volley of smaller black projectiles shot out, pelting the three of them.

Zurdun lifted his leg, before bringing it down onto the ground. A slab of earth rose up in front of them, providing an effective shield.

Gou whimpered a bit and began to fade. "Afraid that's all I can do."

Himura nodded. "Of course, thank you for your help." Her spirit disappeared into his world.

Kodama's barrage began to wear down their shield. He merely stood and watched them without doing much to take them out.

Himura popped up and fired two rounds at him before ducking again. "We need to find a way to take him down. While we are at a range, he has the advantage."

Zurdun crossed his arms. "I could take him if I could get close enough. But those mines would blow me to smithereens if I even tried."

Himura sat against the rock wall, pondering that information. "I have an idea."

Zurdun raised an eyebrow. "What kind of an idea?"

Himura reached down, searching through her keys. "We do not have to get through the minefield."

"Uh, we don't?" Zurdun asked.

Himura held up another Jade key. "Not if we can get over it." She held out the key. "Open! Gate of the Dragon! Long!" She opened a gate.

A tall, muscular man appeared. He had jade colored eyes and black hair. He wore a jade colored, scale-like jacket and black pants. He set his hands on hips and grinned proudly. "Someone need a hero!"

Himura smiled. "Long! I need you to carry us over there!" she said, pointing at Kodama.

Long stared back at her. "That's it!" he suddenly yelled.

Zurdun cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah."

Long crossed his arms and turned away.

Himura glared at him. "Not now! We need your help!"

Long grumbled to himself. "Gou gets called to fight; Long gets called to carry people over to the fight." He grabbed Hime and tossed her over his shoulder.

Himura let out a brief yelp. "Long!" she protested.

Zurdun stood up, standing at eye level with the spirit. "Yeah, I don't think this is going to work out."

Long slowly nodded. "You're right, you're too big of a target."

Hime sighed. "Then how are we going to do this?"

Long shrugged. "Guess it's your turn to be the distraction."

"Beg your pardon?" Zurdun asked.

Meanwhile in Fenris' water dome, Zion continued his battle against the water mage. Each of the powerful mages began to run low on magic at their struggle continued.

"Magma God's Sadness!" Zion yelled, shooting a beam of black magma into the sky where it split into a hail of magma arrows.

Fenris dodged through the rain but still got hit by one. He grinned. "Now that's more like it. Fog!" He created a dense mist all around the arena.

Zion narrowed his eyes. "Hiding? What's the matter? Can't take the heat? Magma God Bellow!" He spun around, shooting a river of lava in every direction. His attack hit the wall, causing a massive spray of steam to further decrease his line of sight.

"Oh don't worry about me," Fenris said, chuckling. "Razor Mist!" He used the water around him to create razor sharp blades and launched them at his opponent, pelting his back.

Zion gritted his teeth. He immediately spun around and slammed two lava covered hands on the ground. "Magma God's Eruption!" He saw one stream erupt, three others following a few seconds later. This got the desired effect as he heard Fenris roar in agony.

"Geyser!" Fenris shouted. A blast of water spewed out from under the Slayer, sending him flying into the air, before crashing back down. "Tsunami!" Fenris sent out a massive wave of water as he recovered.

Zion hit the ground, only to be thrown into one of the water walls by the second spell.

The fog finally cleared, Fenris sauntered towards him. "You're done for now." He thrust his hand forward. "Razor Mist!" He sent out another volley of water blades.

"Magma God Bellow!" Zion breathed out another stream of lava, it tore straight through the knives and hit the wizard in the chest.

Fenris grit his teeth, trying not to show his suffering. He countered by throwing a knife at him, hitting him in the lower chest.

Zion grimaced, forming a lump of magma in his right hand. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He threw it at him.

Fenris tilted his head to the side, letting it pass an inch away from his ear. He waved his hand. Water poured out of the arena walls and crashed into his opponent. "You know the thing about my magic is, I can control water at will, I don't need verbal spells." He raised his hand.

Another blast of water hit Zion on the chin. He winced but used the momentum to stand back up. He shot another stream of lava into the sky. "Magma God's Sadness!" It split and rained down another volley of arrows.

Fenris lifted his arms. "Water Wall!" He conjured a barrier that blocked whatever arrows came near him.

Zion sprinted at him, surrounding his fists in lava. "Magma God's Hatred!" He landed several hard blows on the water mage.

Fenris withdrew a throwing knife and desperately swiped at him.

Zion dodged and kept up his barrage, covering him in many burns.

Fenris finally managed to land a hit with his knife. He reached back to grab another when a particularly hard punch sent him flying into the wall of his arena. "Scalding Blast!" He sent forth a mighty stream of water that knocked Zion off of his feet.

The arena began to drip. Zion sat up and held out a hand. "What's with this?" The ceiling slowly started to pour down on them, until the entire arena collapsed. The water extinguished Zion's fists and flooded the area.

Fenris laughed, also sitting up. "Looks like we're going to have to call this own a draw then." He slowly managed to stand again. "Neither of us have the magic to continue."

Zion tried to summon more magma, but only managed to call a few drops. He huffed. "Suppose so."

Fenris set a hand on his chest. "It was fun while it lasted. I'm looking forward to round two," he said with a grin. He fell back towards his lines.

Zion could only watch him go. "Right," he muttered.

Elsewhere Zurdun and Himura prepared to launch their final attack.

"This is a terrible idea," Zurdun grumbled.

Long stood behind him, Himura still over his shoulder. "You want to take down Kodama, this is the best way to do it," he said dismissively.

"I am in agreement in Zurdun," Himura chimed in.

Zurdun shook his head. "Forget it, he's right, we need to get you over there to deal the final blow." He stomped on the ground, creating a bridge of rock over the minefield. "Ready?"

Long nodded. "Ready."

"Speak for yourself," Himura muttered.

Zurdun took a deep breath, before charging at Kodama. "Rock Armor!" He surrounded himself in earth.

Kodama pointed at him, causing the circle to target him and fire. The shots pounded him and started to break his armor, but he pushed onwards.

Long formed two wings of black energy and stretched them out. He flapped his wings, causing him to launch into the air and soar overhead.

Kodama noticed and tried to aim the circle at them instead, but it moved too slowly.

Long grabbed Himura's leg, transferring energy into her. "I grant thee the power of dragons," he whispered. He proceeded to throw her directly at him.

Hime drew back her arm. "Cosmic Dragon Iron Fist!" she recited, bringing her arm forward and punching Kodama in his already damaged helmet as she drew near.

Kodama's helmet shattered, black hair spilled around him. He fell onto the ground, a slight gasp escaping him. He covered his face with his arm and formed another circle on his other hand. "Dark Moment!" Everything immediately went black.

Himura grabbed her pistol and fired in his general direction. But when the spell lifted, both Kodama and Fenris were gone.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Diana brought her sword down on Alderic, a mere inch before it made contact a powerful gust of wind blew her away.

Apollo jumped forward and caught her before she could go far.

Alderic spun around, blinking several times. "What just happened?"

Emma ran out of the fog. "Re-quip!" A staff appeared in her hands it was a long pole with a pair of sharp blades on the ends; they looked almost like raindrops, but spiky, in her hands, the weapon also had lines along it that look like blood veins. She swung it, hitting the ice mage in the cheek.

Alderic recoiled, retreating a step. He swung his Glacier Spear at her.

Emma gracefully spun out of the way, vanishing into the fog.

Alderic glanced over his shoulder.

Mihara strolled towards them, wearing a black fur coat with matching snow pants and boots. "Certainly is hard to see around here isn't it?" He snapped. "Astraeus!"

A massive man stood behind him, standing at twelve feet tall. He wore light blue armor and carried a mighty golden spear. He calmly waved his hand, summoning a powerful wind that blew the icy fog away.

Marcus stared at it, narrowing his eyes. "What on earthland is that?"

Alderic crossed his arms. "Timely arrival."

Mihara strolled over to him. "It's my specialty." He held out a stone key and waved it. "Close! Gate of the Sky Titan!"

The giant disappeared into the realm he came from.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "Titans?"

Apollo set her down and nodded, actually looking serious for once. "Despite being locked away in Tartarus; the twelve Stone Keys allow an exceptionally talented wizard to summon them to assist him in battle."

Emma fell back to Diana's position. "How strong are they?"

Apollo shrugged. "Depends on the spirit, but their roughly as strong as the Olympian Glass keys. So be careful."

Diana crossed her arms, unconcerned by the news. "Thanks for the info. You can go back now." She closed his gate with a wave of her key, allowing him to depart.

Marcus joined the two, assuming a combat stance. "Alright, we all ready for this?"

Diana reached down, selecting another key from her ring. "Of course."

Alderic stared down the three wizards. "What are you doing here Mihara? I thought Master Dragon wanted you to stay back."

Mihara walked up to Alderic's side, grabbing a couple of his keys. "I saw an Olympian Glass key wielder and couldn't help myself," he replied calmly. He grinned maliciously. "Don't suppose you'd mind if I had a little fun with her?"

Alderic glanced back at the battle. "Fine, but let's make it quick."


	15. First Blood 7: The Guild Masters

**Thank you for your reviews, they were very helpful. There weren't as many fight scenes in this chapter so hopefully it doesn't drag on. Also this is the last call for OC arc requests. If you have an idea for one fill out the form I put in a couple of chapters ago, and PM me. This will no longer be an option once I post the next chapter. So if you want one let me know soon.**

 **This chapter I wrap up the First Blood Arc. Hope you all enjoy!  
**

April 8 X784

Diana held her key out to her right. "Open! Gate of The fierce god of War! Ares!" She summoned another Olympian to their side.

Ares had reddish spiked hair and black eyes. He wore a golden armor. He stood at about 6'7 and had bulging muscles. He let out a loud shout. "Prepare to face the wrath of the god of War!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Everyone aside from Diana stared at him with varying expressions.

Diana's eye twitched. "Ares, you came out facing the wrong way, again."

Ares currently stood facing the right, away from anyone and everyone. He cleared his throat and rotated to the left. He pointed at the Demon Fang wizards. "I knew that."

Mihara snickered. "Truly frightening," he said sarcastically. He spun a key around his index finger.

Ares held out his arms; discarded weapons from every fallen Demon Fang minion present rose into the air. He slowly brought his arms forward, sending them all flying at the two wizards.

Mihara held his key out to his left. "Open! Gate of the Earth Titan! Gaea!" He summoned a second titan to his side.

Gaea was an eight-foot-tall woman wearing an outfit of leaves with unkempt brown hair. She tilted her head to the right. A tree sprouted out of the ground, lifting the two dark mages into the air.

All of Ares' weapons hammered into the base of the tree and embedded themselves in it. Alderic clasped his hands together in front of him. "Dark Ice Magic: Hail Rain." A swarm of baseball-sized ice rained down from above, freezing whatever they touched.

"I got it!" Emma called, whipping out an Obsidian key. "Open! Gate into the Nine Realms! Appear! He who was first of the Giants! Ymir!"

A giant appeared behind her. Ymir's body is made of pure almost unmeltable ice. He wore a simple white cloth pair of leggings. He raised his hands overhead, forming a dome of ice over them, successfully shielding them from the barrage. "Ymir will protect you."

Emma gave the giant a thumbs up. "Great job!"

Ymir waved his hand, causing the ice dome to recede.

Marcus set his fist down on top of his palm, icy mist gathering around it. His face was uncharacteristically full of rage. "Let's take them down! Ice Make: Bow!" He formed the weapon in his hands and shot three arrows at Mihara, one after the other.

Gaea made a simple gesture with her hand. The branches of the tree all stretched out and shielded the wizard from the arrows.

Mihara stayed still throughout it all. "You hardly stand a chance in long range combat with us. Gaea!"

The titan slowly brought her hands together. A massive wave of roots shot out of the ground all around the Angel Wing team, proceeding to start closing in on them.

Marcus clenched his fists, ice gathering around them. "Alright, then we'll just have to take them down in close-quarters."

Emma spun her staff around. "Good idea."

Ymir created an ax out of ice. "Ymir agrees."

Ares held out his arms, two weapons, a sword, and an ax, flew into his hands. "Sounds like fun."

Diana adjusted her grip on her katana, saying nothing.

Just before the roots made contact the team charged, Ymir and Ares hacking through whatever roots tried to get in their way. Gaea continued to conjure up more of them, but they were all chopped through by the gods.

Alderic formed up three projectiles. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets." He launched them all at the three wizards.

Diana and Emma each jumped to the side while Marcus simply devoured the one that got close to him. He proceeded to glare at the dark mage and inhale. "Ice Dragon Frozen Roar!" He bellowed a hail storm out at him.

Alderic calmly stepped behind the tree. The ice barrage hammered against it, breaking off branches and damaging the trunk severely.

Marcus let up the attack and sprang onto one of the low hanging branches, quickly making his way up the tree.

Alderic came back out and frowned. "Dark Ice Magic: Glacier Spear!" He created the weapon in his hands and hurled it at the wizard; it tore through several branches as it drew near its target.

Marcus jumped away from the spear and grabbed onto the trunk. Alderic's spear broke through the branch he was standing on, causing it to plummet to the ground. He climbed another yard, before vaulting on top of the branch beneath his opponent.

"Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" Alderic unleashed another three shots at him.

Marcus leaped upwards, grabbing hold of the branch and pulled himself up. "Ice-Make: Sword Strike!" He created a sword in each hand and charged at him.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "Dark Ice Magic: Aphotic Strike." He summoned two daggers, the blades of which pulsed with black magic. He parried each of his opponents blows.

Marcus kept up the pressure, growing even fiercer as he attacked.

Alderic fell back, calmly regarding him. "Why so angry, Slayer?" He ducked underneath a slash and counterattacked. "You're the ones who infiltrated our base and attacked us."

Marcus switched to defense. He stepped to the side and yelled, bringing both swords down on him.

Alderic locked weapons with him. "Or is it because of something else?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Scum like you could never understand." He pulled back and slashed both swords across his opponent's chest.

Alderic let out a small grunt. He evaded another stroke before slicing the Slayer's exposed wrist. He stared at him coldly. "I understand far more than you think."

Marcus' vision went black. He squinted and tried to look around. "What is this?" He felt his opponent's knife dig into his lower chest; he shouted in pain.

"Upon striking you, my weapons will blind you to light," Alderic explained, he delivered another blow to the Slayer's arm. "Hence the name aphotic."

Marcus winced, retreating a step. He took a deep breath, picking up his scent to his right. He ran at it, swinging both weapons. After several misses, he finally got the desired effect as he heard Alderic groan.

"Dark Ice Magic: Armor!"

Marcus swung again, this time hearing his weapon bang against something. His vision slowly returned.

Alderic still stood in front of him, covered in armor of dark ice. "My ice is harder than yours; you'll find breaking this armor to be a difficult task." He punched the Slayer straight in the jaw.

Meanwhile, Diana and Emma closed in on the second Demon Fang wizard. Mihara smirked, gesturing over to his summon. "Two Celestial wizards? Must be my lucky day." The branch he was standing on bent down.

Mihara strolled onto the ground, Gaea right behind him. He summoned a magic sword to his right hand. The blade of which was glowing blue. "Your keys will make valuable additions to my collection."

Gaea raised her arms to attack.

Diana nodded back at her spirit.

Ares smirked and summoned a spear to his hand. "Not so fast!" He hurled it at the titan, hitting her in the shoulder. "Ah ha! Take that you reject!" He laughed proudly.

Ymir tightened his grip on his ax and swung, cutting the titan cleanly in two.

Gaea let out a cry before vanishing back into her world.

Mihara cocked an eyebrow. "Not half bad." He noticed Diana closing in on him and held his sword out in front of him. "But how are your personal skills?"

Diana launched forward, unleashing a flurry of slashes, cuts, and jabs, her eyes analyzing his every move.

Mihara parried the blows while standing his ground, sparks of magic emitting upon each clash of their weapons. At one point in their duel, he snapped his wrist, knocking her sword to the side, leaving her entire body exposed. Rather than strike he held his sword to her throat. He chuckled. "Your form lacks precision, and leaves you wide open."

Diana tightened her grip on her sword and glared at him. She knocked his sword aside and renewed her assault with twice the vigor.

Emma slid to a stop, slightly dazed as she watched their intense duel. She snapped out of it and signaled Ymir. "Freeze him solid while he's busy!"

Ymir nodded, stomping towards the battle. "Ymir will do so."

Mihara noticed his approach from the corner of his eye. "Seems we've got company," he said to his opponent.

Diana seized the moment and slashed at his cheek.

Mihara calmly deflected the blow before palming her face, knocking her onto her butt. He whipped out a key and held it upwards. "Open! Gate of the Fire Titan! Prometheus!" He turned it.

The titan appeared he was a man wearing dark green armor with suntanned skin. He had red hair with a long beard. He formed a fireball between his hands and thrust them forward, launching it at the giant.

It struck the ice giant, causing him to stagger back a step. He grimaced, letting out a powerful yell. He countered by shooting an ice stream at his opponent.

Prometheus barely managed to dodge before running at him. He covered his fist in flames.

Ymir swung his mighty ax at him, managing to hit the titan on the shoulder and injure him. But was unprepared for the punch that hit him in the face. He fell on his back and groaned. "Ymir apologizes," he gasped, before returning the Nordic realms.

Emma grit her teeth. "Crap."

Ares came down on Prometheus as he was recovering, chopping him down before he could rise. He stopped to pose. "Ha! That's what you get for challenging the all-powerful god of War!"

Diana engaged Mihara again. "Fight now, gloat later!" she called to him.

Ares stalked towards his target. "Of course."

Mihara smiled darkly. "Oh please." He jumped back and made a pointed his sword at Ares. A beam of magic shot out of it, hitting the god on the face.

Ares fell on his back. "I let him do that," he said quickly as he faded back into his world.

Diana grit her teeth and assaulted him again, but to her continuing frustration, he blocked every one.

Emma spun her staff around, took a deep breath, and ran into the fray.

Mihara saw her coming and shoved Diana back long enough to block each of her attacks. He put her on the retreat. "Angel Wing sending children in now?" he asked, taking note of her height.

Emma's eye twitched. "Oh, shut up!" She counterattacked.

Diana rejoined the fight, nearly landing a blow on his neck.

Mihara managed to fend off both girls without suffering any injuries. But in the process, he sacrificed offense.

Marcus and Alderic's fight led them down from the tree and over towards the celestial wizards.

Mihara parried an especially close blow from Diana. He gritted his teeth and kicked her in the chest. He immediately had to turn to defend a flurry from Emma.

Diana stumbled backward until she bumped into something. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that it was Marcus, who'd just been knocked back by Alderic.

Marcus raised an eyebrow at her. "How's your fight going?"

"Not well, you?"

"Could be better."

Diana also raised an eyebrow. "How about a trade?"

Marcus studied Mihara for a second. "Yeah, I can get behind that."

Diana nodded, she spun around him and sprinted at Alderic, sword drawn back to strike.

Marcus set his fist on top of his palm. "Ice Make: Bazooka!" He created a rocket launcher of ice and aimed it at Mihara.

Emma noticed and hopped out of range.

Marcus smirked and fired a large ice projectile at the man.

Mihara grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and raised it overhead, hoping to cut the shell in two. But halfway to hitting him, it split into multiple shards of ice and rained down on him. He wobbled a bit, pain evident on his face.

Emma jumped forward, using her staff to clobber him.

Mihara fell onto his back this time and grunted. He reached down and grabbed a key. "You're going to regret that. Open! Gate of the Sun Titan! Hyperion!"

A man appeared, he had bright skin, blond hair, and gold eyes. He wore white robes and carried a bow with a quiver strapped to his back. He lifted his fist and surrounded it in golden flames. He pounded it into the ground, sending out a wave of flames that knocked the siblings off their feet.

Alderic watched Diana advance on him. He breathed in, calling on his magic. "Dark Ice Magic: False Promise!" A wave of darkness and mist surrounded him. He created a thicker set of armor around himself and summoned a sword to each hand, Avernus and Mist, both were made of Dark Ice.

Diana continued, unfazed. She brought her sword down, breaking a piece of ice off of his shoulder.

Alderic swung both swords at her.

Diana dodged each of his strokes, blocking only when necessary. She counterattacked, pounding her katana against his armor. Chunks of ice broke off with every blow she landed.

Alderic continued his futile attempts to hit her. Though his armor provided protection, it slowed him down as well.

Diana slowly started to wear down his armor. She sidestepped a would-be deathblow and sliced, opening a small gash on her opponent's neck.

Alderic winced, covering the wound with his left hand.

Diana cocked an eyebrow. "Had enough?"

"Of you," Alderic muttered. He attacked, swinging both swords at a different spot.

Diana deflected the first, but the second opened a wound on her stomach. She winced, and strangely decided to fall back to her comrades, eyeing the injury she'd inflicted.

Mihara sauntered up to Alderic. "Care to do the honors, my good man?"

Alderic smirked. "I'd love to." He stretched his arms out in front of him. "Abaddon's Secret Art: Frozen Arrow Barrage!" He summoned a Dark Ice arrow and a bow. He drew back the string and fired. When it did, it turned into a hundred dark ice arrows that blasted away towards their enemies, it left trails of ice and a cold wind as they went.

Marcus raised his arms. "Ice-Make: Shield!" He conjured a snowflake shaped barrier in front of him and his team. The arrows pelted it, causing it to start cracking. By the fiftieth arrow it broke and the remaining shafts rained down on them.

"Ha!" Mihara exclaimed, crossing his arms. "Nice one!"

Marcus remained standing, as did Diana while Emma picked herself back up. All were covered in new injuries, but none of them fell.

Mihara chuckled. "Resilient aren't they?" He nodded at his comrade. "Got one more left in you."

Alderic nodded. An icy mist surrounded him. "This time I'll freeze them solid." He focused all of his power. "Abaddon's Secret Argh!" He fell to his knees, a flood of pain suddenly overtaking him. His body started to cease up. "What is this?"

Diana took a step forward, pointing at her neck.

Alderic glanced at his injury. "That's impossible, it was just a scratch," he muttered in disbelief.

Diana held her katana out in front of her. "This is the Assassins Blade, the best sword in my collection. The blade is covered in poison, in seconds it'll spread through your body, in a minute it'll paralyze you, and in an hour, you'll be gone."

Alderic groaned, trying to fight off the pain, but it only got worse.

Mihara scoffed. "You got lucky, another second and he'd have finished you off." He shook his head and sighed. "But I suppose I'll just have to do that myself."

Marcus took a step towards him. "Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that? Ice Make: Bow!" He summoned the weapon and shot an arrow at him.

Mihara calmly tilted his head the side, allowing the shaft to pass by his ear. "Let me demonstrate." He held his arms out at his sides and looked towards the heavens. "I call upon the power of the nineteen Titans, rise from the pits of Tartarus and unleash thy wrath upon those who would challenge you."

Nineteen giants appeared behind him, all gathering up massive amounts of magic.

"That doesn't look good!" Emma exclaimed.

Marcus bent down and set his hands on the ground. "Ice Make: Glacier!" He poured the remnants of his magic into a thick wall of ice.

"Let the world tremble as you rise." Mihara's eyes glowed yellow. He pointed at them. "Titanus Ira!" All of the giants unleashed powerful beams of magic aimed at their wizard's enemies. A bright explosion blinded everyone present for a moment.

Mihara stared into the smoke, a satisfied smile crossing his face. "That should be the last we hear of them." He walked over to Alderic, grabbing his arm and yanking him up. "C'mon, let's get you a cure to, whatever venom she infected you with."

Alderic groaned, following after him as best he could.

The smoke from the explosion lifted as they walked off. Marcus lay on his back, panting like a dog. "That, was too close." By throwing themselves onto the ground, they'd managed to dodge the spell, barely. But the fire from the explosion still burned them.

Emma sat up, a new burn covering her arm. She grimaced. "Tell me about it."

Diana sat against the remnants of Marcus' barrier. She ignored the pain of her wounds as best she could. She looked at the Slayer quizzically. "You were a lot angrier than I've seen you before, have you met Demon Fang before?"

Marcus crossed his arms and looked away from her. "Of course I have, between the guys that attacked Petra and now this." He gestured towards the battle. "I think I have the right to be angry."

Diana raised an eyebrow. She could tell he was hiding something, but whatever it was his business, not hers. She shrugged. "Whatever you say," she said dismissively.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Dragon watched the battle from the window, seeing Matsudo fighting a team from Angel Wing. "What the heck is he doing?" he wondered aloud.

Nagata stood next to him, cackling at the sight. "Seems he's been distracted." The floor beneath them vibrated. The old doctor grinned. "Sounds like Marius just got inside."

Dragon clenched a fist, crimson flames surrounding it. "Then you better secure anything of value in the lower levels," he said in a deceptively calm voice.

Nagata cackled again. "Of course sir." He slowly walked out of the room, using his cane to support him.

Dragon unclenched his fist and took a deep breath. He looked over towards the door where another group of his men stood. He pointed at one and signaled him over. "Akio, I have need of your talents."

A young man approached him. He wore a white shirt and cloak, both of which had the Zentopian crest on them in black. He also had on a pair of black pants and a hood that covered his face. "How may I serve you, master?"

"Come with me, it's time we had a talk with our prisoner," Dragon ordered. He stormed out of the room in the direction of the holding cells.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Purge the darkness Oh rain of light!" Ashley called. She launched a volley of light from her hands.

Silver charged his right hand with electricity. "Spark Barrage!" He shot eight balls of lightning in a row at his target.

Javael created a bow and arrow out of light, due to the red color of his magic it looked as though it was made out of stained glass. He took aim and began to shoot at their opponent.

Matsudo dodged through each of the attacks at blinding speed, stopping once they all ceased. "Not bad for a trio of brats." He chuckled darkly. "But you'll have to be faster than that. Re-quip." A black handgun appeared in his right hand. He aimed it at them and pulled the trigger, firing a bolt of light at them.

Ashley ducked underneath it at the last second.

Javael fired another arrow in response.

Matsudo dashed out of the way, stopping fifteen yards to the right of his previous position. He trained his weapon on Jav, this time firing two rounds.

Javael raised a barrier, managing to block. He dropped the shield and formed a spear, which he proceeded to throw at his opponent.

Matsudo once again sped out of the way, when he stopped he fired at the wizard another three times.

Javael once again raised a barrier, the first two shots cracked it, while the third broke through and hit him on his chest. He grimaced, setting a hand on the injured area. "We'll never hit him at a range."

Ashley stood up and nodded. "You're right."

Silver took a step forward, his face deadly serious. "Follow my lead. Electric Wings!" He grew lightning like wings on his back, using them to launch himself forward.

"Meteor!" Ashley called, surrounding herself in a thin glow of light. She flew after her teammate.

Javael knelt down, the energy around his body intensifying. "Flow 10." He sprinted after them, his already enhanced speed doubling.

Matsudo aimed his pistol at them and opened began shooting.

The three wizards evaded the bullets though Ashley was grazed on the arm. Silver led the way, surrounding his hands in light magic looking like blades. "Light Blade!" He slashed at his opponent.

Matsudo calmly dodged each of his blows. "Nice speed, good technique." He surrounded his foot in light. "But you have a lot to learn." He kicked the mage in the chest, sending him reeling back.

Silver caught himself with his wings and propelled himself back at him.

Ashley flew in. "Fists of Light!" She covered her hands in energy and launched a barrage of punches at the Demon Fang wizard.

Matsudo smirked. "Fists of Light!" He countered all of her punches with ones of his own.

Ashley's eyes widened. "Where did you learn that?"

"How funny, I was just about to ask you that," Matsudo replied. He delivered a blow to the woman's stomach, knocking her into Silver.

The two wizards went tumbling onto the snow.

Matsudo dusted himself off. "Now if that's all I should be going."

Javael yelled, forming a sword in each hand.

Matsudo turned just in time to dodge his attacks.

Javael continued his assault, almost hitting him on a couple of occasions.

Matsudo grabbed his opponent's left wrist. His smile increasing slightly. "You're certainly an interesting one. I can sense turmoil in you, and perhaps, a little insanity."

Javael lunged with his free hand.

Matsudo grabbed his right wrist as well, before flinging him into a nearby snowbank. He laughed softly. "Truly entertaining. We'll have to do this again sometime."

The team all stood back up. Ashley raised her hand, an orb of light appearing on it. "Light Rejuvenation!" The arm broke into three and washed over all of them, dulling the pain of their injuries.

Silver stared at himself. "My body, it feels lighter."

Javael formed a fist. "I feel stronger as well."

Ashley smiled. "I've partially healed you, and enhanced our speed and strength." She reactivated her 'fists of light' spell.

Silver smirked. "Guess we owe you one."

Javael just nodded.

Matsudo watched the scene, slowly nodding. "Now I see."

The three all charged, even faster than before. This time, all of them struck together, driving the dark mage back. Matsudo attempted to keep up his evasion, but Silver slashed his arm, and Javael his leg. Finally, Ashley finished it off by hitting him straight in the face.

Matsudo growled and dashed forward, running by them.

"Ow!" Ashley suddenly yelled, reaching up and rubbing her scalp.

"Did he hit you?" Silver asked, trying to keep his eye on him.

Ashley frowned. "I'm not sure."

Matsudo ran around a nearby boulder before sprinting off in the direction of the Asylum.

Javael raised an eyebrow.

"Is he retreating?" Silver asked. He scratched the back of his head. "As much as I hate to admit it he was doing pretty well."

Ashley squinted at the boulder. "I can sense a disturbance in the light, just back there." She reached out to point, but instead formed a fist and decked Silver.

Javael's eyes widened. "What on earthland are you doing?" He raised a barrier, preventing her from kicking him.

"I don't know! My body, it's moving on its own!" Ashley cried, continuing to flail on his barrier. Whatever was controlling her also seemed to make her stronger as well.

Silver stood up and jumped on her, grabbing her wrists and wrenching them behind her. "What could be doing that?" He struggled to hold her.

Javael glanced at the boulder. "You said there was a disturbance behind there, didn't you?"

Ashley broke free and took both her partners down by using a few martial art techniques. "Yeah! There was!"

Silver nodded, creating another set of electric wings. "Alright, then I'll check it out." He jumped into the air.

Ashley grabbed his foot and slammed him back into the ground. "I'm sorry!"

Silver groaned, staring up at the sky. "Strong grip you got there." He rose back to his feet, grabbing Ash's arm. "On second thought, I'm a little busy at the moment."

Javael nodded. "I'll investigate then."

Silver continued grappling with his teammate. "What am I supposed to do?"

Javael began running towards the rock. "Restrain her of course!" he called back to them.

"Wonderful," Silver muttered.

Ashley drove a knee into his gut. "It's okay with me," she assured him.

Silver blocked her next few attacks. He threw himself forward, tackling her into the snow. He struggled against her enhanced strength, managing to pin her down.

Ashley broke the hold and struck him on the nose.

Silver recoiled, rubbing his nose. "You are one tough girl you know that?"

"I'm sorry," Ashley said, even as her body aimed several more attacks at him.

Silver dodged them as best he could, trying to find a pattern to her movements. He threw himself at her, grabbing her left wrist and twisting it behind her.

Ashley drove her elbow into his gut, before grabbing his arm and throwing him into the snow.

Silver rose onto one knee, seeing his teammate charge at him. He grabbed her arm, using her momentum to flip her over his head. He jumped on top of her, pinning her down. "Got ya!"

Ashley thrashed around, almost freeing herself on several occasions.

Silver let out a breath, wiping the sweat off of his brow. "Whew," he gasped, grimacing as the pain of his bruises set in.

"Good job," Ashley complimented, still struggling to free herself.

"Uh, thanks," Silver muttered, he watched Javael close in the rock. "Just hope Jav can handle whatever's back there."

Javael ran around the boulder, forming an energy sword in his hands.

Amelia stood against the boulder, giving him a sadistic grin as he came into view. She held a doll in one hand, a strand of blonde hair sticking out of its head. "Matsudo gave it to me. Such a lovely strand isn't it?" she asked, casually using the doll to control Ashley.

Javael approached her, lifting his weapon to strike.

Amelia sat down on top of the boulder. "Not the chatty type huh?" She reached into her jacket, producing another doll. "That's fine with me."

An unconscious man rose up behind Javael, took spear in hand and lunged at his back.

Jav spun around at the last moment, bringing his elbow down on the spear, breaking it in two. He proceeded to punch the man straight in the face.

"Oh my, that's hardly a nice thing to do to your comrade," Amelia said mockingly.

Javael gave her a questioning look, before turning back to the man. Upon closer inspection he recognized him from the Guildhall. "Keiichi?" he wondered aloud.

Keiichi shoved him against the boulder and began punching away.

Javael grit his teeth, pushing him back. He created a shield in his hands, using it to defend himself against his comrade. He looked up.

Amelia set above him, her feet dangling an inch above his head. She giggled, manipulating her two dolls. "It's such a shame when friends fight isn't it?"

Javael narrowed his eyes.

Keiichi's body suddenly turned into iron. He struck with twice the force, shattering Jav's shield and hitting him in the gut.

Javael gagged, bending down a bit.

Keiichi followed it up by punching him in the head three times straight. He finally knocked him into the snow with a spin kick.

Amelia laughed sadistically. "Better start fighting back Angel."

Javael stood up again. "Deranged maniac, I'm going to make you pay," he growled, his magic intensifying further. "Flow 15."

Keiichi raised his still iron fists.

"What are you going to do with a power increase? Kill your friend?" Amelia asked, cocking her head.

Javael shook his head. He created two gloves of light and ran forward, even faster than before.

Keiichi met his charge, punching him in the face, then kneeing him in the stomach.

Javael grit his teeth, blocked the next attack by using his gloves. He jumped to the side and tried to run straight at the dark mage.

"Nah uh ah," Amelia said teasingly.

Keiichi grabbed his arm and hurled him into another boulder.

Pain flared up through Javael's back. He groaned in frustration. How could he take her down without hurting Keiichi? He rose once again, brushing off his hoodie.

Keiichi sprinted at him, fists at the ready.

Javael inhaled, and ran straight at him. He grabbed onto Keiichi's head and vaulted over him. He sprinted at his target full speed.

Amelia narrowed her eyes. She manipulated Keiichi to run after him.

Seeing him close in, Javael leaped at her, landing next to her on the boulder.

Amelia's eyes widened slightly. She scrambled to her feet and jumped off the side of the boulder.

Javael reached forward, managing to pluck Ashley's blonde hair from the doll.

Amelia landed beneath him, glancing at her doll. She scowled at him. "Fine, take it." She strolled over to another fallen member of Angel Wing, plucking a hair off his head. "This one will suffice."

"Flow 5," Javael said, reducing his power level. He let out a breath, his magic power running low. He hopped off the boulder, falling back to his team.

Silver noticed him coming and got off of Ashley. "Good job." He rubbed one of his multiple bruises. "Not sure how much longer I could've held out."

Ashley also stood up, smiling and nodding. "Yes, thank you for your help." She formed an orb of light between her hands. "Healing Wave!" She held it overhead. A surge of light went out in every direction, healing most of their wounds.

Silver checked himself for any other injuries. "Thanks," he said after a moment.

Ashley scratched the back of her head. "It's no problem, half of those were my fault anyways."

Javael shook his head. "It wasn't your fault; it was hers." He pointed over to the boulder.

Amelia sat on top of it again, this time controlling two Angel Wing wizards. She grinned at them.

Javael breathed in. "This is going to suck."

Silver narrowed his eyes. "Coward!" he yelled at her.

Amelia laughed loudly. "Aww, what's the matter? They're just minions."

"Maybe to you! But to us, they're our comrades and friends!" Ashley shot back.

Amelia smirked by lifting the corner of her mouth. "Oh really?" She made both her puppets charge at them. "Then I suppose you're going to have a hard time hurting them won't you?"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Marius blasted his way through the Asylum, taking out whatever minions had stayed indoors. A powerful aura of magic surrounded him. He sensed three powerful magic signatures nearby. "Dragon!" he yelled, walking around the corner.

He entered a long hallway filled with doors, one of which was wide open. Dragon emerged from the room, turning his direction. "Marius," he responded calmly.

Marius clenched a fist, his heart beginning to race. "I killed you."

Dragon folded his hands behind him. "Not quite."

Marius slowly walked towards him.

Dragon glanced out the window. "I suppose I should congratulate you on fulfilling your dream. They're all truly talented."

"That why you attacked Petra?" Marius asked in a slightly mocking tone. "You were scared of how strong we'd become."

Dragon chuckled. "Fear? No." He set a hand on the window. "There's nothing to be afraid of. As you can see, I've selected my members carefully. There's so much potential in them. I can hardly wait to see how powerful they'll become."

"Not if we stop you here," Marius said, engulfing his hand in a white fire.

Dragon clenched a fist. "We will not die," he growled. A dark red aura appeared around him, matching the strength of Marius'. "Angel Wing's fate is still to be decided."

"Release Ayame," Marius demanded. He took a deep breath. "Do that, and we can both walk away from this."

Dragon chuckled. "You want her?" He snapped.

Akio walked out of the room, dragging the unconscious form of Ayame after him. He tossed her onto the floor in front of him.

"She's all yours," Dragon said calmly. He walked off, gesturing for Akio to follow.

Marius ran forward. "Dragon!" He let loose a surge of white fire.

Akio calmly waved his hand, forming a barrier that blocked the spell. "Another time perhaps," he said with a bow. He turned and strolled over Dragon, leaving his barrier in place.

.

Outside…

.

The battle was now in full swing, injured littered the ground all around the Asylum. Demon Fang had set up a makeshift medical center near the front door. Mihara stood against it, whistling a happy tune as the battle raged on.

Alderic set next to him, sweating from the effects of the poison. "Would you stop that annoying whistling?" he grumbled.

Alexander dragged himself over to them, unlike the others he'd healed his wounds, but now had to wait for his magic to replenish. "What are you even doing here? You're well enough to be fighting."

Mihara groaned overdramatically. "But all the worthwhile opponents have been taken already. It'd be a real pain to fight their minions all day wouldn't it?"

Kyle strolled up to them. He held a black pen in his hands, used for writing runes. "Just finished the protection enchantments. They won't be getting in here anytime soon."

"Good," Alexander muttered. "I've had enough pointless battles today."

"What's so bad about unnecessary battles?" Mihara asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alexander glared at him. "Because they're useless. This battle is a complete waste of our valuable time."

Before Mihara could retort, Matsudo emerged from the Asylum, followed by Dragon, Nagata, and Akio.

Mihara waved at Matsudo. "Good to have you back." He gestured towards their many injured. "We could use some of your expertise."

Dragon watched the battle, frowning at the amount of fallen members he had. "Heal them immediately," he ordered.

Matsudo grinned. "Of course." He held his hands out in front of him. He formed the Zentopian emblem between his hands, made entirely out of light. "Wash away our afflictions and purge our wounds." He held it overhead. It shone so brightly everyone present had to look away from it. "Genesis Rebirth!"

Every member of Demon Fang, high ranking and low, began to stand once again. Alderic's cut vanished, and the effects of the venom disappeared. He too stood up.

Alexander felt his magic return to him; he stared at his hands. "Impressive."

Angel Wing members stared in shock, several backing away. Murmurs rose through their ranks.

Mathias raised his hand. "Prepare to attack!"

Mihara smirked. "Well, might as well," he said, walking towards the battle, when suddenly he ran face first into an invisible wall. Purple writing appeared above him.

Every member of Demon Fang gave Kyle accusatory looks.

Kyle cleared his throat. "So, I may have messed up the rune a bit," he admitted. He waved his pen a few times, causing the wall to vanish.

Mihara stood up, grumbling to himself. "This is why I work alone."

Dragon raised his hand, signaling for everyone to stop. He approached the frontlines. His men all stepped aside to allow him a clear path. "Members of Angel Wing, my name is Dragon, I am the master of Demon Fang."

This triggered another wave of murmurs. Sora yelled and ran forward. He went on all fours, arched his back as his hair and tail stood on ends, before unleashing a torrent of spikes at his target. "Needle Spray!"

Dragon calmly waved his hand. A bolt of blood red fire spewed out, consuming the spikes and hitting Sora, causing an explosion of fire that took out another five wizards.

His team rushed over to aid him. Meanwhile, Team Julie and Luna limped over to the frontlines. Marcus, Emma, and Diana lurked near the mid-ranks.

Dragon set a hand on his chest. "There's no need for violence. I've come to make you an offer."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Zurdun asked, joining the others, Himura and Zion walking up behind him.

Dragon held out his arms. "Your situation is hopeless. Marius alone is no match for us, and what little strength you have will do nothing to aid him. You have only one choice that insures your survival."

"Let me guess, surrender," Silver scoffed.

Dragon shook his head. "No." He stretched out his arm. "Join us, Demon Fang has use for talent such as yours."

The area went completely silent.

"With all of our power put together, the Magic Council would stand no chance against us!" Dragon proclaimed. "Fiore would be ours for the taking, and once we had it, imagine the possibilities. No more Guild wars, no more magic restrictions. Together, we can create a new world!"

Raik slowly walked forward, his eyes narrowed.

Dragon raised an eyebrow.

"Cosmic Rebirth," Raik uttered. His wounds vanished, and his magic returned to him. He charged forward. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!"

Dragon covered his hand in fire, swatting his hand away. "I'll consider that your answer."

Raik kept attacking, putting everything he had into each attack.

Luna drew her revolver and began shooting at the black wizard as he did so.

Dragon continuously blocked with just one hand, not even the bullets could get past his flames. He finally grabbed the Slayer's wrist and threw him into Luna, knocking both down. "Anyone else?"

One by one all the members of Angel Wing stepped forward, many yelling out their defiance. "Ice Dragon Roar!" Marcus bellowed a stream of ice at him.

Dragon sidestepped the breath attack. "So be it." He raised his hand, engulfing it in flames.

The entirety of Angel Wing let out a yell and charged.

"Corruption!" Dragon shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. A wave of fire coursed out, sweeping over all of Angel Wing. All of them fell, letting out cries of agony as they did so. When the fire let up, they all lay wounded on the ground.

Demon Fang let out a cheer. Kyle whistled. "Not too shabby." He squinted towards the hills, noticing something approaching them.

A white fireball flew out of the Asylum and hit Mathias in his chest, causing him to tumble backward.

Marius stormed outside, his aura even stronger than before. "You're going to pay for hurting them." He clenched his fists.

Ayame walked out beside him, a pissed off look on her face. She crossed her arms, taking position behind him.

Demon Fang all began to laugh. "Oh really?" Kadir asked, creating a spear of darkness energy. He charged, together with the rest of the Guild. "And what are you doing to do without your precious Guild to back you up!?"

Marius watched for them to get close. He engulfed his hand in flames and lifted it overhead. "Sanctification!" He slammed it into his palm. A wave of fire poured from his body in every direction, sending members of Demon Fang flying all over the place.

When the attack stopped, only Dragon, Matsudo and a a few dozen minions who were out of range remained standing on Demon Fang's side, while Ayame and Marius were the only conscious members of Angel Wing.

The duo's each stared each other down.

Matsudo glanced over his shoulder. A battalion of soldiers were all marching towards them. "Seems the Army has finally decided to join us," he commented.

Dragon didn't react to the news. He simply continued his stare off with Marius. "We could fight each other to the death now."

Marius nodded. "True."

"Sounds good to me," Ayame growled.

Dragon crossed his arms. "But if we did, many of our own would die from the destruction that would ensue."

Marius copied his pose. "Since when have you cared about collateral damage?"

"I still have uses for them," Dragon said vaguely. He lowered his arms. "So let's say we call this one a draw."

"Sir?" Matsudo said, glancing at him quizzically.

"You can't be serious," Ayame said, smirking at him.

Marius closed his eyes. "Alright, it's a deal."

"You can't be serious!" Ayame repeated, staring at him in disbelief.

Dragon nodded at Matsudo. "Evacuate those worth saving. Leave the minions."

"As you wish," Matsudo said reluctantly. He began grabbing and running high ranking wizards to a safe area. He went on to take Alderic, Akita, Fenris, Kyle, Amelia, Kadir and Alexander.

The Demon Fang minions also grabbed whatever injured they could and began carrying them off.

Ayame grabbed Marius' collar and yanked him down to eye level. "Are you out of your freaking mind! You're just going to let them go?"

Marius closed his eyes. "If I try to fight him, we'll lose members in the crossfire."

"You don't know that!"

"I'm not taking the chance," Marius said firmly. He pulled himself away.

Matsudo walked over to Dragon, setting a hand on his shoulder.

Dragon pointed at them. "Next time, there'll be no deals." After that declaration, both he and Matsudo vanished.

Marius slipped his hands into his pockets. "When that day comes, we'll be ready for you."

The Army ran into the valley, medics dispersing to assist the injured. Captain Jonathan approached them, now with a brand new cigar in his mouth. "Looks like you delivered, to think, there was an entire Dark Guild located in the mountains." He shook his head. "This post just keeps getting crazier."

"You can say that again," Marius muttered.

Jonathan walked off, ordering his men to roundup all the fallen minions.

Ayame cleared her throat. "Thanks, by the way."

"Hm?" Marius asked, glancing at her.

"For busting me out," Ayame clarified. She crossed her arms. "I owe the entire Guild for that."

Marius shook his head. "You don't owe us anything. We'd never leave one of our own to suffer at the hands of a Dark Guild." He walked over to the Guild. "That being said, I think I owe the Guild an apology."

Ayame glanced at him. "For what?"

Marius knelt down, checking the nearest members pulse. "I was so blinded by rage I left them to fend for themselves. Now look what happened." He clenched a fist and punched the ground next to him. "What kind of Guild master am I?"

Ayame sat down next to Petra. "No use beating yourself up about it now. All you can do is learn from it and grow stronger because of it."

Marius closed his eyes. "Believe me, I will. I swear I'll see both Dragon and Demon Fang burn for this!"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Kyle groaned, slowly awakening from his slumber. "Sheesh, guess we underestimated him," he muttered, he sat up and rubbed his forehead.

"Glad you could join us," Fenris said, he sat on an expensive couch, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

Kyle blinked a few times; he slowly checked his surroundings. He sat inside a massive castle, many stories tall. There was a lounge, kitchen, foyer, training area and dozens of chambers. It was dimly lit by golden chandeliers with the Demon Fang banner hanging on the walls.

Dragon stood on a balcony, staring down at his Guild. "Welcome to the Demon Fang Guildhall."


	16. Devil's Advocate Arc: prologue

**Thank you all for the reviews, I'm glad that everyone liked the last chapter. This time I had to write about a lot of the characters being in a different mood than they usually are, so if I got anything wrong about them, feel free to let me know. Happy Valentine's day everyone! Hope it was a good one.  
**

 **The first up on character arcs will be Koan Crimson.**

April 9 X784

The mood was somber on the train ride back to Draycott. That is except for Petra, who upon seeing Ayame, acted like a complete and utter five-year-old, complete with excessive crying, and a death grip on her that she refused to release, even as they blocked an entire aisle, causing a major line to form. Despite Ayame's objections, she had an uncharacteristically sweet smile on her face throughout the whole event, and hardly seemed to mind.  
As for everyone else, though they were happy to have Ayame back, were still in shock from what happened. That included Marcus, even as he suffered from motion sickness. Every wizard present wore bandages due to the wounds they received in battle.  
Ashley sat on one of the seats, leaning against the window. She was paler than usual and breathed through her mouth. "Afraid that's the last of my magic." She'd successfully healed those with the deepest injuries, Kayden being among them.  
"Don't push yourself," Silver said, folding his arms. "Being injured might suck, but we'll recover in time."  
Zurdun shook his head. "I still can't believe Dragon took us all down like that. It all happened so fast."  
Javael sat in silence, staring out the window of the train. His hood had been pulled forward a bit, so that much of his face was hidden.  
Silver nudged him. "Hey, you alright?"  
"Hm?" Javael glanced back at him.  
"You seem kind of spaced out, more so than usual," Silver pointed out.  
Javael turned back to the window. "Sorry, just have a lot on my mind."  
Silver heaved a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "I know how you feel. You hear stories about people strong enough to take out entire Guilds, but coming across one is a whole different experience."  
Zurdun nodded at Marius, who sat in a booth alone. "On the bright side, we got one of our own."  
Ashley smiled. "True, that should make Demon Fang think twice before attacking us again." Her smile wilted a bit. "I hope."  
The train eased to a stop at the Murdock Station, letting off a group of passengers. As they exited a pair of men stepped aboard, also clad in bandages, they were Koan and Danghoul. The two stared at the Guild, who all stared back.  
"Hiya," Julie said after a short pause.  
"Hey," Koan replied. He scratched the back of his head. "Did we miss a party?"  
Danghoul crossed his arms, frowning at them suspiciously.  
Kayden laughed nervously. "You could say that. If you call a war with Demon Fang a party that is."  
"A what?" Danghoul asked, his face showing uncharacteristic surprise.  
Marius folded his hands. "Long story short, we found a Demon Fang Asylum, sent Ayame to investigate, she got captured, so we attacked it full force."  
"There was a battle and we weren't there for it!" Koan suddenly exclaimed.  
Danghoul slowly walked over and took a seat, staring at the bench across from him. "I missed a war with Demon Fang," he muttered despondently.  
Several members stared at him, mystified at the sight of him seemingly being depressed.  
Koan stomped over, taking a seat next to him. "I can't believe this!"  
"Um, sorry?" Kyouko said, shrugging at them.  
"At least tell me you won!" Koan exclaimed.  
Julie smirked. "Sorry again, it was a draw."  
"Ah c'mon!"  
Julie laughed. "Maybe next time." She folded her arms behind her head.  
Arthur frowned at her. "You're awfully chipper. Doesn't it bother you that there's a wizard out there that can take us all down with one gesture?" he asked harshly.  
Julie closed her eyes, her smile fading for a moment. "Of course it bothers me, Arthur. But that's hardly a reason to mope around and complain. We'll just have to make sure we're stronger in the future."  
"Wise advice," Raik said, he folded his hands. He glanced at Morrigan. "And how do you view this whole situation? We'd all benefit greatly from your input."  
Morrigan stared out the window, her face as intense as ever. "Encountering a stronger opponent is just another reason to train harder."  
Kayden cleared her throat. "We won't have to train with you, right?"  
Everyone except the God Slayer all shuddered in horror at the thought.  
Marius strolled past them, joining Koan and Danghoul in their booth. "Glad to see you two back." He took a seat across from them.  
"We missed a Guild war," Danghoul muttered.  
Marius scratched the back of his head. "Afraid so. But hey, looks like your mission was plenty exciting." He eyed their bandages. "What happened in Rara?"  
Koan perked back up. "We took down a warlord named Sunata!"  
"Sunada," Danghoul corrected.  
Marius smiled. "Ah yes, of course. Got to say, I'm surprised it was Sunada; from what I hear he's not even from Fiore. Why would he come here just to attack a tiny village?"  
Koan shrugged. "If it helps, he was apparently after a key that some guy named Japheth left there. But apparently it doesn't actually exist, which means that we just had to fight off an entire army over a myth, real bummer huh?"  
Marius chuckled. "That's ridiculous. Japheth passed through that town a few years ago, but there's no way he'd leave a key there, especially if it would put Rara in danger." He shook his head. "In any case, how many men did he bring with him anyways? Fifty?"  
"Two hundred," Danghoul answered.  
Both Marius and everyone else in earshot stared at them in disbelief. Zion smirked. "Two hundred men? Tad bit overkill for a farming village, were they expecting Japheth's ghost to be guarding the place?" he said jokingly.  
"They seem to have been acting on orders," Danghoul explained.  
"Oh yeah? And who gave the orders?" Zion asked.  
Marius sighed. "Demon Fang," he muttered.  
Danghoul nodded.  
"We just can't catch a break from those guys can we?" Koan asked rhetorically. At that moment, the train pulled away from the station. He immediately collapsed, holding his stomach.  
Marius smirked. "Motion sickness a common problem among Dragon Slayers?"  
Koan just groaned.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

Fenris admired his surroundings. "Nice place you got here." He sat down on one of the couches in the lounge. He took note of the few members that loitered around the building. "But I got to admit, I expected a few more members. This place is almost vacant." He'd switched into his casual outfit, consisting solely of a gray T-shirt and black pants.  
Akita lazed around next to the fire, a bored look on her face. She'd dressed in a regular pair of sweats and tennis shoes. "Yeah, apparently they only tell trusted members about this place," she said half-heartedly.  
Fenris smirked at her. "You're sure low on energy today."  
Akita laid down on the couch and pouted. "Master said I can't punish anyone unless they do something wrong," she complained. "What's there to be energized about?"  
Fenris shrugged. "Don't you have any hobbies?"  
"Making people scream in pain," Akita replied.  
"… Anything not related to punishing people?" Fenris asked.  
Akita just shook her head.  
Kadir entered the lounge.  
"Matsudo finished healing you I see," Amelia said. She sat at a chess table, nonchalantly moving her rook forward a few spaces, placing her opponent in checkmate. She was dressed in a black trench coat that reached down to the ground, with lots of pockets for her dolls, a bloody red and black tight leather top that shows her stomach, and long black leather pants. Her Guild mark was on the right side of her stomach, next to her belly button, in black with a red outline.  
Her opponent stood up and walked away in shame.  
Kadir sneered. "Marius took us all off guard," he grumbled. He formed a fist. "I'll kill him the next time I see him."  
Fenris laughed. "Hope you plan on doing some training before you attempt that." He leaned back on the couch. "Otherwise, he's going to wipe the floor with you a second time."  
Kadir glared at him. "You're awfully defensive of him."  
Fenris folded his hands. "I respect strength, which he has no shortage of. The way I see it, we'll just have to prepare ourselves for our next war against Angel Wing. I imagine they'll be doing the same."  
"I think we should all take that advice," Kyle said, strolling inside. He wore a black shirt. Dark brown slacks and black sneakers. "They had some talented wizards, if we don't train, they're likely to surpass us."  
"Over my dead body," Kadir grumbled. He sat down on a nearby recliner.  
Kyle sat down across from Amelia, nodding at the chess board. "Care for a game?"  
Amelia shrugged. "Why not?" She lazily set up her pieces, stealing a glance at the entrance to the Guildhall. "I wonder when Sunada's going to return? Apparently he and Jade are in charge of finding the key."  
Kyle organized his pieces.  
"Oh, he's not coming back," Alexander said, he'd been lurking around the corner for over ten minutes. "Another pair of Angels took down him and his little army."  
Amelia set her hand on a pawn but stopped before moving it. "Unexpected."  
Alexander laid down on a vacant couch. "Hardly, Sunada was too reckless, and his puny magic supply didn't do him any favors. I'm surprised Dragon recruited him at all."  
Amelia returned to her game, moving a pawn forward. "He did have two hundred men along with him. For a farming village that should've been overkill."  
Kyle calmly moved each of his pieces. "Appears the two that were defending it were quite skilled."  
Alexander closed his eyes. "Perhaps."  
"Regardless, I hardly think this little duo will make a difference. Not when Master Dragon continues to amass more members. They'll discover that two hundred mages are quite a bit stronger than two hundred grunts," Amelia said confidently. She moved her bishop, claiming one of her opponent's knights.  
Kyle smirked, picking up his rook. "On the contrary, history is full of examples where one wizard changes the world. I find it best to operate under the assumption that all of our opponents have such potential." He moved the piece a few squares to the left, taking her queen. "Checkmate."  
Amelia blinked at the board a few times. "How did." She narrowed her eyes. "Set them back up."  
Alderic walked in. He was dressed in a white shirt with rolled sleeves; he had suspenders on his black pants; black boots and a black fedora.  
"Does anyone need punishment yet?" Akita asked hopefully.  
Alderic shook his head, giving her a bit of an annoyed glance. He strolled across the room, heading off in the direction of the training area.  
"Quite the serious one aren't you?" Fenris asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Alderic paused on his way out. "Marius is just a Guild master; we'll face far worse on our way to the top. If you're smart, you'll begin training, and soon." With that, he exited.  
"… Well, that killed the mood," Kyle commented.

In Draycott…

Marius walked up the Guildhall front door. The rest of the Guild all gathered around behind him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring of keys. "Let's see here…" He checked each of them, one at a time.  
Ayame crossed her arms, frowning at him impatiently.  
Marius continued to search, taking a good five seconds to identify each key. "Nope, no, not this one."  
"What the heck are half of those even for?" Ayame asked, narrowing her eyes.  
Marius finally selected one and slipped it into the lock. "The fridge, pantry, anything else that holds food." He unlocked the door. "It's the best way to make sure Sora doesn't eat all of our food." He nudged it open.  
Inside, to their surprise, sat a man and a woman, each wearing the uniforms of Rune Knights. A mountain of food sat on the table in front of the man, which he was in the process of devouring.  
Marius stared at them in rare shock. "What on earthland?"  
Ayame leaned against the doorframe. "Good thing you locked the fridge," she said dryly.  
Luna caught sight of the man and huffed, immediately turning and storming off in the direction of the garden.  
Sora jumped inside, pointing at him. "Hey! I was saving that!"  
"Right, you were saving food," Diana muttered sarcastically.  
The man wore the uniform of a Captain, decorated with stains of sauce and crumbs. He had short, spiky black hair, a small scar went across his cheek. In spite of his apparent gluttony, he was quite muscular as well.  
The woman noticed them and cleared her throat. She had the outfit of a Lieutenant, with a sword strapped to her hip. She had short red hair and pleasant brown eyes. "Sir, they're back."  
The man looked up from his meal. "Hm?" He scrambled to his feet, tossing the bone of a rib off to the side. "Ah yes! Of course." He wiped off his face.  
Marcus slowly walked inside. "What the heck are you doing?"  
The woman narrowed her eyes. "I'll have you know we have the authority to go where we please."  
"No, I mean why are you eating our food?" Marcus asked, gesturing towards her superior officer.  
She sighed. "I don't know," she muttered despondently.  
The Captain crossed his arms and stood proudly. "I'll have you know that I came here hoping to speak with Marius, found nobody home, and got worried that you decided to give up on the east."  
Ayame raised an eyebrow. "So you raided our fridge?"  
He scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "Be a shame to let such good food go to waste."  
Marius shook his head. "Must a relative of Sora's then."  
"Hey!" Sora protested.  
Marius walked over to them, crossing his arms. "Anyways, I'm here now. What do you need to talk to me about?"  
The man set a hand on his chest. "First, introductions are in order. Names James Vandal. Captain of the Rune Knights fourth custody unit, and leader of the Eastern Reclamation Squad." He waved at his partner. "That there is Lieutenant Haley Knight, my right-hand woman."  
"Who does most of the work," Haley added, her eye twitching.  
Ayame met her gaze; the two shared a moment of mutual sympathy.  
The Guild all began to pile inside, each giving the Rune Knights questioning looks. Many started whispering about whether or not they found out about Angel Wing leading an unauthorized attack on Demon Fang.  
James grabbed a chicken leg from the table and opened his mouth to eat it.  
Sora snatched it out of his hand and ran away before he could. "You've eaten enough of my food!"  
" _Your_ food?" Marcus asked harshly.  
James pretended that nothing happened. "All you need to know is that my unit has been stationed in the east for the past couple of years. I was assigned here because of my expertise in dealing with Dark Guilds," he said proudly.  
Petra stared at him, her eyes wide. "You mean, _you're_ an expert?"  
Zurdun scoffed. "Some expert, things have gotten worse."  
James' shoulders slumped a bit. "Okay, we may have come across a few bumps in the road."  
Zurdun narrowed his eyes.  
"Okay, a _lot_ of bumps," James admitted. He stood up straight. "But I assure you! Under my watch, we'll ride the east of the Dark Guilds plaguing it, and restore order!" He stretched out his arms, accidentally knocking the pile of food onto the ground.  
Marius sighed. "Oh boy."  
Haley smirked. "We get that reaction a lot." She reached into her pocket. "Our forces have taken down plenty of them over the years, but more keep sprouting up. Now we've got a new threat that I'm sure you've heard of."  
"Demon Fang," Ayame grumbled.  
Marcus clenched a fist.  
Koan sat down at a table, abnormally quiet.  
Haley nodded. "Correct." She withdrew a piece of paper from her pocket. "We don't know where they came from, and their movements are completely random. So far they've eluded us on every turn."  
James suddenly became serious. "Our forces are already stretched thin chasing down every other lowlife in the east. But now there's a Guild here."  
Marius chuckled. "I see where this is going."  
"We need you to succeed," James said flatly. He nodded at his partner. "And we're willing to take steps to ensure that happens."  
Haley took out a pen and jotted something down on the paper. She held it out, revealing it to be a check. "One million jewel, to be spent solely on expanding Angel Wing."  
Marius stared at it. "I take it back." He slowly reached out and grabbed the check. "I didn't see this coming."  
James stretched out his arms. "All of Fiore is cheering for you. Nobody wants to see Demon Fang overrun Draycott. Heck, even the Balam Alliance is probably hoping you'll take them down."  
Zion walked up to the barren job board. "They can show their gratitude by sending in some jobs. How are we going to succeed if we can't work?"  
Haley crossed her arms and smirked. "You didn't hear? Phantom Lord opened up a branch bordering the east, between them and Fairy Tail, a lot of requests have been going out to them instead."  
James sauntered towards the door. "Yes, and going into the mountains healthy and coming back covered in bandages didn't do a lot to bolster people's confidence in you."  
"It was a draw," Ayame grumbled.  
James signaled for Haley to follow him. "That's not exactly comforting you know." He set his hand on the door. "Anyways, I wish you good luck. If you plan on sticking around, you'll need it." He opened the door and stepped out.  
Haley stopped before leaving and looked back. "We've set up shop in Draycott for the time being, if you need a job or help, feel free to ask." She narrowed her eyes. "And don't, waste that money."  
Marius smirked. "Don't worry, I'll put it to good use."  
Haley nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I hope to hear about your success." She stepped outside, letting the door swing shut behind her.  
Marius examined his check again. "Well, that was an unexpected surprise."  
"Tell me about it," Ayame muttered. She started the chore of cleaning up the food. A few of the Guilds more helpful members joined her in doing so.  
Marius strolled over to his regular spot, taking a seat. He set the check on the wooden surface in front of him.  
"What are you going to do with the money?" Kyouko asked, cocking her head.  
Koan raised his hand. "You should put in a swimming pool!"  
Javael frowned in his direction. "I hardly think the Rune Knights would approve of us using their funds for something so pointless."  
"Ah! Who cares what they think!" Koan said dismissively.  
Aikasa stared at him in disbelief. "Dude, they gave us the money."  
Marius laughed cheerfully. "Not to worry, I already have something in mind." He glanced at the door to the backroom. "For now, I need to arrange a few things."

Outside…

Luna watered her many flowers with great care. She'd built up an impressive garden over her short time in the city. People had jokingly put up a 'no boys allowed' sign near the entrance. She thought about moving it… thought being the key word.  
She yanked out a handful of weeds. She wiped the sweat off of her brow. "Sheesh, it's hot," she grumbled.  
"Hello Rose!" Himura greeted, stepping into the garden.  
Luna groaned. "That nickname stuck didn't it?" Stupid Phoenix! One of these days he was going to wake up choked by vines.  
Himura laughed nervously. "I am afraid that it did." She sat down on an old bench in the middle of the garden.  
Luna shook her head. "Ah well, could be worse." She returned to her gardening. The two sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. The plant wizard violently tearing out any weeds she came across.  
"Are you feeling okay?" Himura asked.  
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, of course I am."  
Hime nodded. "I apologize, you just seem a little irritated," she explained.  
Luna smirked. "The gardens boy free isn't it?"  
Himura smiled. "Indeed it is."  
Luna returned to her job. She kept pulling out whatever weeds she came across. Her thoughts drifted back to the battle. Team Julie had taken a harsh beating, only Morrigan and Raik were able to stand after the fight.  
Alexander impaling Kayden came to mind; it had happened right in front of her too. She grit her teeth. On top of that there was Dragon...  
"Luna?" Himura asked.  
Luna glanced at her. "What is it?" she asked.  
Hime cleared her throat. "Sorry, but you pulled out some of the daisy's," she said, pointing at the weeds.  
Luna blinked a few times, glancing down at her hand. Sure enough, she'd taken out some of the flowers while lost in thought. She sighed. "Great." She took the daisy's and held them out to Hime. "Here, take them."  
Himura reached out and grabbed them. "Oh, thank you."  
Luna took a deep breath, and went back to her work, this time being careful not to hurt any of her flowers.

Inside…

Early night had fallen on Draycott. The Guild had begun to return to their usual selves. Though many were still pondering the battle.  
Sora wolfed down every scrap of food that Ayame hadn't managed to put away. He wiped his mouth and grinned. "Ah! That hits the spot!" He rubbed his stomach.  
Aikasa stared at him. "You're certainly hungry today."  
Sora crossed his arms and grinned. "Cut me some slack, I didn't eat anything during the entire battle."  
Aikasa leaned back against her chair. "That's not much of an accomplishment."  
Sora gnawed on the remains of a bone. "It is for me." He tossed it onto his plate.  
Aikasa rolled her eyes. "Sure it is." She let out a sigh.  
Sora glanced at the clock. "It's almost nine, aren't you usually training around now?"  
Aikasa crossed her arms, a gloomy look on her face. "I would, but according to Ashley, I can't until my injuries heal. Dragon sure did a number on us."  
Sora frowned. "I know, how are we supposed to defeat that guy?" He perked back up for a second. "Wait! You're a Slayer aren't you? Can't you just eat his flames?"  
Aikasa shook her head. "I tried that; I just choked on it. Whatever his fire is, I certainly can't eat it."  
"And neither can I for that matter," Zion said, joining the two. He folded his arms behind his head. "I don't know what magic that is, but it's some nasty stuff."  
Aikasa glanced at him quizzically. "I'm surprised it actually burned you. Didn't you say you were immune to fire magic."  
Zion smirked. "Thought I was."  
Kyouko approached them, leaning against the table. "Maybe it's a mixture of magic? Like darkness and fire."  
Zion shrugged. "Maybe."  
Meanwhile, Marcus lurked in Diana's usual spot in the corner.  
Midnight laid on the table, licking her paw.  
Diana reached out and petted her, glancing at the Slayer. "Funny, usually your sister is the one to show up unannounced," she commented.  
Marcus gave her an unamused glare.  
It was cute that he thought that intimidated her. She scratched her cat behind the ears. She could guess what he must've been thinking about. The same thing that everyone was thinking of no doubt.  
Diana closed her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it (Therefore she wouldn't), her thoughts never strayed far from the battle. Facing such strong opponents made everyone aware of their weaknesses. Apparently that included Marcus.  
He slowly stood up and walked towards the door, a determined look on his face.  
Raik stood against the wall next to the door. He noticed the Slayer and raised an eyebrow. "Penny for your thoughts."  
Marcus paused. "In a few days, I think I'll pay Murdock a visit," he answered.  
Raik smirked, memories of the Archive Heist flooding back to him. "Ah yes, and what are you looking for there?"  
Marcus just shrugged. "If there's a book on dragon slaying techniques anywhere in Fiore, it'd have to be there."  
"Hoping to learn a few new spells?"  
Marcus slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded. "Pretty much. I'm not going to sit around here moping when I can start getting stronger."  
Raik stood up straight. "In that case, I think I'll join you. Information on phoenix slaying magic is even harder to come across. And next time we face Demon Fang, I'd prefer to be stronger."  
Marcus smirked. "Feel free to tag along, I'll be leaving in a few days."  
Meanwhile, Diana stood up and slowly walked over to Emma, tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey," she greeted.  
Emma turned around, blinking a few times. She was evidently surprised the wizard approached her instead of the other way around. "Oh, hi Diana. What do you need?"  
Diana set her hand on her hip. "You said you saw an Olympian key, what temple was it in?" she asked plainly.  
Emma rubbed her arm. "The temple of Aphrodite."  
Diana nodded. "Thanks." She turned away from her.  
"Wait, you're going to go there yourself?" Emma asked.  
"Yeah."  
Emma hopped to her feet. "But you don't even know where it is in the temple!" she exclaimed. She set a hand on her chest. "Let me come with, I can lead you right to it."  
Diana hesitated, but eventually nodded her consent.  
Emma grinned and pumped a fist. "Awesome!"  
Across the Guildhall, Danghoul approached Marius, who sat his typical spot. "I have a report for you. About Koan's alter ego.  
Marius stole a glance at Koan. "Really? What are your thoughts on the matter?"  
Koan currently sat talking to Petra over by the bar. He seemed as happy and fun as ever. If Danghoul hadn't told him, he'd never have guessed that his alternate ego had made an appearance.  
Danghoul crossed his arms. "It calls itself Joker, he's crazy, but I don't think he's evil."  
"Really?" Marius asked, raising an eyebrow. "What gives you that idea?"  
"He didn't hurt any of the villagers, or even use destructive spells while close to them. He didn't kill his opponent either," Danghoul reported. He closed his eyes. "In the end, it shouldn't be a problem."  
Marius slowly nodded. "I'll trust your judgment on this matter." He leaned back in his chair. "His intel on the Asylum was good too, which means he must've been telling the truth. If that's the case, we got another mystery to solve."  
Danghoul raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"  
Marius folded his hands. "Why did Nagata experiment on him, and what did he hope to gain from it?"  
"And does he have a backup plan?" Danghoul added.

In the Demon Fang Guildhall…

Nagata cackled. "So, Koan helped take down Sunada eh?" he asked rhetorically. "Now isn't that interesting." He walked over to the window, using his cane for support.  
Jade stood at his doorway. "Indeed, and he seems to have developed a talent for using Black Dragon slayer magic as well," she said, checking her nails. "Dragon will pitch a fit if he discovers your escapee took out his mercenaries."  
Nagata grinned, tightening his grip on his cane. "Don't worry about me child, I can't imagine he'll stay angry with me for long. All I need is a diversion, something to draw Koan out of Draycott."  
"Yes, if only we had a mercenary army," Jade said sarcastically.  
Nagata laughed heartily. "I've got something better in mind. Anya!" He banged his cane against the floor. "It's time we set out."  
A young woman emerged from her quarters, her fists surrounded in golden fire and a wicked smile on her face. "Of course doctor. It'll be such a pleasure to see my dear Koan one last time."


	17. Devil's Advocate: Demon of the Sun

**Thank you for your reviews, they're appreciated. I've decided to add a final two OC's into the story for Angel Wing.**

 **Jackpot 2's Sam Nash and Alicia Elegance**

 **This chapter is the first half or so of Koan's character arc, the next chapter should conclude it. Hope you enjoy.**

April 16 X784

Days passed since the war; some members were still in the process of healing. Marius had put the money from the Rune Knights to good use, doubling the size of the Guildhall and getting better furniture in the process. The most prominent feature he added was a small library on the second floor, which he filled with numerous different books.

Many members were still in the process of healing. To Ashley's frustration she found healing the burns from Dragon's magic to be extremely tiring, so only a handful of wizards were able bodied.

Marcus ran his hand over the bookshelf. "Marius' has sure got a big collection of books doesn't he? I wonder where he even got half of this stuff," he commented, scanning the titles of each manuscript he passed. He'd changed into a casual outfit; a midnight blue short-sleeved shirt with the Angel Wing Emblem sewed onto the upper-left pocket, black combats and black boots.

Raik nodded in agreement. "True, it's a shame he doesn't have anything on Slayer magic. Looks like we're going to go to Murdock anyways."

Marcus glanced at his arm, now free of burns. "Guess so." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "At least now our wounds are healed." He strolled downstairs. The Guildhall was quite busy, full of all the people who hadn't yet recovered.

Diana and Emma passed by them, heading in the direction of the door.

Raik cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you two charming young ladies heading off to?"

Diana kept on moving without pause.

Emma turned around and grinned, walking backwards to keep up with her companion. "We're going to Aphrodite's Temple! And this time, we finally have clearance!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "You better not get arrested again."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Emma called back to him, following Diana outside.

Marius stood by the door the back room, watching the scene with mild amusement. He raised his arm. He noticed Danghoul step inside and waved him over. "Koan! Grim! Come with me for a second!"

Koan hopped up from his table and scurried over. "Yeah, what do you need?" he asked eagerly. "Do you have a job? One where we can defeat a Dark Guild and strike fear into their hearts?"

Danghoul strolled over to them, a plate of waffles in his hands. "Yes, master?"

Marius pushed open the door with his elbow. "Right this way." He turned around and led them into the back room, which he'd made into a makeshift office. "I need to talk to you about what happened in Rara." He turned back around to face them.

Danghoul set down his now empty plate. "What about it?"

Koan glanced at the plate, then up at him. "How do you eat so fast?"

Marius sat down at his desk, gesturing for them to take a seat. "Defeating Sunada would have been impressive enough, taking down two hundred men on top of that is simply astounding."

Danghoul took a seat across from him.

Koan did the same, his gaze was immediately drawn over to the set of newton balls sitting on the desk. He grabbed onto it and started using them.

Marius cleared his throat. "The two of you showed not only great strength and courage but also conviction, to stay and fight against such impossible odds for the sake of innocent villagers. I'm proud to have such men in Angel Wing…"

Koan stared at the newton balls, mesmerized.

Marius raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You're not listening to a single thing that I'm saying right now, are you?"

Koan snapped out of it and coughed. "Oh, well, no I'm not, sorry."

Danghoul didn't bat an eyelash throughout it all.

Marius laughed, folding his arms behind his head. "In your defense, I might've overdone a little. So this time, I'll cut straight to the chase." He set his hands on the desk and leaned forward. "After contemplating, I've decided to promote the two of you to S-class."

Koan's eyes widened. "Seriously!?"

Danghoul set a hand on the arm of his chair, blinking a few times. "This is an honor," he finally said.

Marius nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "No need to be modest, you two deserve it. From now on you can participate in S-class quests if you desire." He waved over at a job request board that was pinned against the wall. "I've set them up here for the time being. Take them at your leisure."

Koan jumped to his feet, knocking his chair to the ground in the process. "Awesome!"

Outside everyone in earshot stared at the door in confusion. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Sounds like somebody just got good news," he muttered, sitting down at the bar.

Ashley smiled wearily, her routine quest to heal everyone had left her worn out. "I wonder what it is?"

She soon received her answer as Koan stepped outside with a grin on his face. "Guess who just got promoted to S-class!"

"Was it Danghoul?" Julie asked jokingly.

Koan nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Yep! And also me!"

Julie laughed, reaching out and grabbing a bottle of root beer. "Congratulations." She set it on the bar and slid it over to the Slayer. "Sounds like you earned it."

Koan grabbed the bottle as it came near, popping the cap off of it. "Thanks!"

Danghoul strolled back outside, a job request in his hand.

Morrigan cracked a smile as he walked past her. "Already taking a job? You're certainly not wasting any time."

"Why would I wait?" Danghoul asked. He nudged the door open and stepped outside.

Kayden smirked. "Not one for celebrations, is he?"

.

Across Draycott…

.

Diana showed her permission slip to the sergeant.

He scanned it for a moment, slowly starting to nod. "Alright, everything seems to be in order." He stepped aside. "Go right on in, just be careful not to break anything."

Diana nodded, walking past him. The temple in front of her was remarkably well preserved. It was shaped like a square, supported by massive white pillars, a statue of the goddess stood on each side of the door, her arm outstretched. The gates themselves were open wide to allow entrance.

The sergeant narrowed his eyes as Emma walked up. "Oh, look who it is. Come back to vandalize our ancient sights some more?"

"Good to see you too Sergeant," Emma muttered, holding out her permission slip.

The guard sighed overdramatically. "You kidding me? They're actually letting you back in?" he asked in disbelief.

Emma slipped past him, hurrying over to her partner. "Don't worry! I'll be careful this time!" she called back to him.

Diana rolled her eyes, walking inside the temple. The interior was just as impressive as the exterior, the walls were all covered in ancient paintings of scenes from mythology, and another statue, larger than the others, stood in the center, an altar sitting in front of it. She glanced over her shoulder. "I take it the key is hidden away somewhere?"

Emma nodded, increasing her stride until she was leading them. "Pretty much, ancient people sure were paranoid." She approached the altar, where a miniature sculpture of Aphrodite sat.

"We are here to steal it aren't we?" Diana asked dryly.

Emma stretched out her arm. "It's not stealing when they all passed away years ago." She set her hand on the sculpture and twisted it. A magic circle appeared under the statue, causing it to slide backwards.

Underneath the base of the statue was a narrow set of stairs that led down, light poured down through the passage, illuminating a marble pedestal with a glass key resting atop it.

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Imagine that." She walked down the staircase, coming to a stop in front of the pedestal. "This was in Draycott the whole time."

"I wonder if any of the other keys are scattered around the temple ruins?" Emma wondered aloud.

Diana shrugged. "Who knows?" She reached out to grab the key.

"Wait."

Diana pulled back her arm and glanced at her companion quizzically. "What?"

"Are we sure that taking the treasure won't trigger some sort of trap?" Emma asked, taking a quick look around. "Like sealing us in, or unleashing a monster, or poison darts."

Diana shook her head and smirked. "You've been reading too much of Marcus' writing." She reached out and snatched up the key. "Nothing bad is going to happen." The room began to rumble, and the statue suddenly slid back into place, blocking their escape and drowning the chamber in darkness.

"See? I told you!" Emma exclaimed.

A silver magic circle covered the wall across the room, illuminating everything in the process. Out of the circle stepped a beast, one that stood at about twelve feet tall and seemed to be a cross between a man and a bull. A giant battle axe was strapped to its back.

"Um, Diana?" Emma asked nervously, taking a step back. "What is that?"

Diana studied both the creature and the magic circle behind it. "That's a Minotaur, one of the Olympian silver keys."

"That's a silver key!?" Emma exclaimed.

The Minotaur withdrew his axe and charged, bringing it down on them.

Diana and Emma jumped to the side, each in opposite directions. The axe struck the pedestal, cutting it cleanly in two.

Diana added the new key to her ring, grabbing another one in its place. She hesitantly held it out to her side. "Open! Gate of The wild goddess of the Hunt! Artemis!" she said halfheartedly.

A young goddess appeared to her right. She had wild brown hair and yellowish-green eyes. She wore a brown hunter's outfit and had a wood bow, a quiver full of silver arrows was strapped to her back. She frowned at her wizard. "What's the deal with you being so unenthusiastic about calling me?"

Emma summoned her staff, backing away from the monster. "Um, guys?"

Artemis aimed her bow into the air. "I got it!" She launched five arrows into the sky, where they all rained down on the Minotaur, hitting it in all of his joints.

The beast groaned, before falling on his face and fading away.

"Because you always show off," Diana said. She waved her key.

"Huh?" Artemis asked, before finding herself whisked back into the Olympian realm.

The magic circle on the wall shattered like a window. But the exit remained blocked off. Emma walked over to her partner. "Nice job, now we just got to find a way to get out of here." She reached for her own keys. "I got a few heavy hitters; they could bust us a way out of here."

Diana shook her head. "I doubt security would appreciate that."

"And Marcus will kill me if I get arrested again," Emma said, shuddering at the thought.

"Let's take a look around before doing anything rash," Diana suggested. She heard a small buzzing sound coming from below, glancing down to see her new key glowing brightly.

"Looks like we got our answer. You know how to summon her?" Emma asked.

Diana nodded. She held the key out in front of her. "I call upon thee in the realm of the gods! Pass through the gate! Open! Gate of The sensual goddess of Love and Beauty! Aphrodite!"

A celestial gate opened at the tip of her key, from which the goddess emerged. Aphrodite lived up to her reputation as the goddess of beauty, with wavy brown hair and black eyes. She wore a pink Greek dress with hearts and doves imprinted on it. "Greetings mortals," she said in a silky smooth voice.

Emma folded her hands behind her. "Well, she's pretty."

Diana nodded at the spirit. "A pleasure to meet you, my names-"

"Diana Florenca, believe me darling, I know, my sisters have spoken highly of you," Aphrodite said, waving her hand dismissively. She leaned forward, scrutinizing her appearance. "Hmm, you're an attractive one, do you have a boyfriend?"

Diana blinked at her. "Um, no."

Aphrodite set her hands on her hips. "Really? You never hooked up with that Josh boy from class?"

Diana's cheeks turned pink. "Josh?"

Emma smirked, watching the young woman in amusement. "Hold on a sec. You've got a crush on someone?"

Diana's expression hardened. "I don't," she said bluntly, her blush deepening. "I stopped having a crush on him when I was nine."

Aphrodite crossed her arms and pouted. "And you've been such a bore ever since. Why couldn't you have been like most teenagers and get involved in a love triangle, or fallen in love with a prince?"

Emma broke down and started laughing. The thought of the most stoic member of the Guild in either of those situations made her crack up.

Aphrodite glanced at the younger girl and smiled deviously. "Oh? And what are you laughing at? You're the one that's crushing on Eve from Blue Pegasus."

This time, it was Emma's turn to blush.

Diana glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "It's just a small one!"

Aphrodite sighed. "Unfortunately." She shook her head. "At the very least your brother gives me some entertainment, first with Erza and then Lucy. He's the only normal teenager among you three."

Diana rolled her eyes.

Aphrodite stared at her before suddenly grinning.

Diana took a step away from the spirit. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"I can make Marcus your boyfriend if you want!" Aphrodite blurted out.

"Huh!?" Emma exclaimed.

Caught completely off guard, Diana stared at her blankly. The moment she regained her bearings she swung her key. "Close gate of the-"

Aphrodite snatched her wrist before she could finish. "Hey wait! Don't you want to know how to get out of here?"

Diana frowned at her. "You knew how to get out of here this whole time?"

Aphrodite let go of her and grinned. "Of course! This is my temple after all." She sauntered over to the wall, pointing at a small keyhole on it. "All you need to do is slip my key in here and boom, you're outside."

Emma crossed her arms. "Next time, lead with that."

Aphrodite frowned at her. "I've got a list of every crush you've had since you were ten, do you really want to aggravate me?"

.

July 8 X772

.

Koan ran his branch through the dirt, starting an elaborate drawing. He frowned slightly as he messed up a few times. "Stupid stick," he muttered, tossing the twig onto the ground. The picture in front of him was supposed to be of a dragon, but from the poorly drawn wings to the uneven jaw, it sure didn't look like one.

"An impressive image."

Koan glanced over his shoulder.

An elderly man approached, using a wooden cane to support himself. His gaze was fixed on the drawing.

Koan stared at him for a moment, before jumping to his feet and pointing at him. "Stranger danger! Stranger danger!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

The man laughed heartily. "Calm down boy, I'm not going to hurt you." He lifted one of his arms. "I'm three decades too old to be posing a threat to anyone."

Koan stopped and squinted at the old man. "Yeah, I guess so." He took a step back just in case.

The stranger nodded at the drawing again. "That's a nice sketch you've got there. You've captured the majesty of the dragon quite well. A shame you failed to portray its ferocity, oh well, maybe another time."

Koan frowned at him. "What do you know about dragons?"

"Oh, quite a bit," the man replied, with that, he turned and started to stroll away.

Koan cocked his head. "Weirdo," he muttered. He shrugged and spun around, running off in the direction of home.

Not far down the road was a small house, outside of which stood a middle-aged woman lingering outside in the garden. She noticed him coming and smiled wearily. "I thought I told you not to stray far."

"I didn't leave the forest," Koan said innocently.

Felicia shook her head. "My exact words were, 'don't leave the path.'" She smiled at him sweetly, anyone else would think that meant she was just happy, but to Koan, it was a flashing neon sign of doom. "And did you do that?"

"Uhhh." Koan scratched the back of his head. "Of course, I didn't."

Felicia's set down her watering can. "Oh really?" she asked, Koan could almost see dark storm clouds forming around her…

A cheerful laugh broke the tension. Richard Crimson stepped outside and joined the two. "Cut the boy some slack, he just got a little distracted I'm sure."

Felicia's wrath turned away from her son and over to her husband. "That's no excuse for disobeying his parents."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Like you always obeyed."

Felicia crossed her arms and frowned. "Of course I did!"

Richard laughed again. "If you did, we both know you wouldn't have married me."

Felicia huffed. "A decision I'm rapidly starting to regret." Despite her harsh words, a small smile appeared on her lips.

Richard set a hand on her shoulder, undeterred by her supposed anger. He nodded at the door. "You're off the hook this time."

Felicia gaped at him. "Hold on a second!"

"Awesome!" Koan cheered, he hurried past them.

"Just don't make a habit of this," Richard called to him.

"I won't!" Koan assured them, slipping inside.

Felicia glowered at her husband.

Richard smirked. "You haven't given me that look in a while."

Felicia crossed her arms. "When his teenage rebellion comes, I'm blaming you."

Richard opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He stared off towards the west, his face suddenly becoming serious.

Felicia's anger vanished, she followed his gaze over to the sky above the village, now filled with smoke. "Is it a fire?"

Richard grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. He rapidly scanned the forest around them. "Is someone there?" he called in a loud voice.

Koan peered out the window, frowning in confusion. He noticed the old man from earlier strolling in the direction of the house. Did he know his parents?

"Nagata," Richard whispered, taking a step forward.

The elder; Nagata, approached them, cackling to himself. "If it isn't Richard Crimson, the old thorn in my side. See you decided to leave Draycott." He came to a stop in front of the garden. "And what a lovely little home you've built for yourself."

Richard let go of Felicia. "Go inside, get Koan, and run!" he said firmly.

Felicia bit her lip, taking a step back.

"Now!" Richard yelled, clenching his fists.

Nagata calmly waved his hand. Three projectiles made entirely of burning sulfur appeared around him. "Sulfuric missiles." Each of them shot forward, one after the other.

The first hit Richard squarely in the stomach, resulting in an explosion that enveloped Felicia as well. The next two hit with just as much force. When the smoke cleared, both lay on the ground, covered in burns.

Koan's eyes widened. "Mom, dad?"

Nagata glanced at the window, noticing the boy. He began to stroll towards the door.

Richard suddenly reached out and grabbed the doctor's ankle.

Nagata chuckled. "Are you still trying to fight Richard?"

"Why are you doing this?" Richard growled, tightening his grip. "Answer me!"

Nagata closed his eyes. "I assure you, it's nothing personal. I just need some test subjects is all." He waved his fingers. "You and your wife were simply a little too defiant for my taste. Divine Judgment!"

A white magic appeared in the air over Richard. He gasped. "Run Koan!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Don't stop until you reach the next city!" A pillar of sulfur shot down from the circle, slamming into his back.

Koan bit his lip, turned, and run out the back door. His vision grew blurry as his eyes began to water. He gritted his teeth and pressed on, leaving his home behind.

.

April 16 X784

In the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

Koan gasped, sitting bolt upright. The visions of destruction all faded away. He rubbed his forehead. He hadn't had that dream in a while. He stood up and took a look around. Business in the Guildhall was still in full swing; early night had come which left everyone scrambling to get food before Sora ate it all.

Koan took a deep breath; he needed to get his mind off of it, and he knew how. He ran over to the back room, knocking open the door and hopping up to the S-class job request board.

Marius nodded at him, before continuing his paperwork.

Koan folded his hands behind him, skimming the available jobs. Stopping bandits, lifting a curse on some island or finding a lost magical artifact. He grinned, there were so many different ones!

His gaze stopped on one with a reward of one million jewel. The illustration depicted a familiar emblem, the mark of Devil's Advocate. He immediately ripped off the flier and read the request.

Doctor Nagata had been spotted, along with his best flunkies. They were in the forest outside of Draycott itself. Koan's palms began to sweat. He whirled around and slammed the flier on Marius' desk. "I'll take this one!"

Marius' coffee fell onto the ground and spilled. He frowned at him. "You're awfully eager, aren't you?" He grabbed the request and read it over. His eyes slowly widened. "They're outside of Draycott?"

Koan snatched the request from him. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." His normal humor vanished and replaced itself with pure rage.

"Wait," Marius said. He rose to his feet. "This is too obvious to anything other than a trap. Nagata is trying to lure you out."

Koan stopped short of exiting. "Then I guess it worked. Because I'm going to go kick his butt the butts of his entire Guild! They'll never hurt anyone else again!" he proclaimed.

"No, they won't," Marius said firmly. He walked out from behind his desk. "But I'm not going to risk one my own on this." He took the flier from the Slayer.

Koan's body began to tremble. "You don't understand. He'll abduct more people for his sadistic experiments! I can't let anyone else endure what I had to!"

Marius set a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He doesn't need any more subjects. He's just after you, which is why you're going to stay here and let me handle this," he said firmly. He narrowed his eyes. "Are we clear?"

Koan met his gaze and returned the stare. Eventually, he stared down at his feet. "We're clear," he whispered.

Marius removed his hand. "Very good." He opened the door and entered the main room. "I know how you must be feeling, but this is for the best."

The Guildhall had fallen silent; everyone present had overheard the majority of the conversation between the two.

Marius clasped his hands together and smiled. "Everyone, I've got some business to take care of outside of Draycott," he said casually. He scanned the people present. "Julie! You're in charge until I get back."

"Seriously?" Julie asked.

"Seriously?" the Guild echoed.

Marius shrugged. "She's the oldest, isn't she?"

"I guess," Kayden murmured.

"In age only," Arthur grumbled.

Julie lifted her bottle and smirked. "Not to worry! I'll make sure this place is still standing when you get back!"

"Good," Marius said, stepped outside. "I'll be back in the morning." He shut the door behind him.

Koan let out a long breath. It would seem he'd just have to trust Master Marius to take care of everything. He trudged across the room.

"You alright?" Kayden asked.

"I'll be fine," Koan assured them. He opened the door. "I'm going back to the dorms."

Julie just nodded, giving him a sympathetic look.

Koan opened the door and left the Guildhall. He stared off towards the forest; the knowledge that Nagata was out there at that very moment made his skin crawl. Part of him wanted to ignore Marius and go on the attack.

"Why the long face?"

Koan came to an immediate stop. He took a deep breath, the scent of expensive perfume filling his nostrils. "Anya," he whispered.

A young woman with dark hair strolled down the path, clothed in a black sleeveless shirt and tan shorts. A pair of fingerless gloves covered her hands. A scar he didn't remember was prominent on her right cheek. She was flanked by both Alexander and Kadir. She smiled at him. "Hello my dear, it's been a while hasn't it?"

Koan recovered from his shock and crossed his arms. "Oh not that long, we talked a few weeks ago when I beat your face in."

Kadir snorted. "And now she's back, which proves once and for all that mercy is a big waste of time," he commented.

Anya smiled and clapped her hands together. "Why don't you two go and make sure Angel Wing doesn't interrupt our reunion," she ordered, disguising it as an innocent request.

Kadir rolled his eyes. "Don't have to tell me twice." He turned towards the Angel Wing Guildhall and sauntered off in its direction. "Killing wizards is a lot more interesting then listening to a lovers spat."

Alexander didn't take a single step.

Anya's eye twitched. "Alexander, in case you're wondering, that wasn't a suggestion."

"And in case you're wondering, I don't give a crap," Alexander muttered in response.

Koan snickered.

Anya rubbed her forehead. "Allow me to rephrase that, you can either stay here and listen to me talk, or go and have a battle against our arch-nemesis', what'll it be?"

Alexander shrugged. "Whatever." He slowly followed Kadir down the path.

Anya sighed in relief. "And that's why I requested Alderic," she muttered to herself. She cleared her throat, putting her smile back on. "Circumstances aside, it's good to see you again darling." She set a hand on her hip. "I missed you."

Koan wagged his finger at her. "tsk, tsk, tsk my dear. I thought I had so much with you being my girlfriend. Instead, I got a daycare zone. I tried to ask you why did this, but you just locked me in a rubber room and laughed for that matter. But oh well, a smile will make it our last dance, for I have a date with destiny!" he said in an overdramatic fashion.

Anya didn't even bat an eyelash. "You have such a wonderfully strange mind."

Koan sat a hand on his chest. "Thank you, years of torture will do that to you." He engulfed one hand in hellfire. "Let me give you a taste! Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" He leaped forward, swinging his arm at her face.

Anya surrounded her fist in golden flames. "Sun Devil's Solar Fist!" She brought her fist forward to meet his.

.

At the Guildhall…

.

"Put it out! Put it out!" Sora yelled frantically, running in circles, the tip of his tail aflame with a black light.

Aikasa took a sip of her drink. "That's you get, pervert," she mumbled into her cup. She'd once again become annoyed by the fox boy's perverted nature, and decided to teach him a lesson, by setting his tail on fire.

Silver walked by, his nose buried in one of his novels. He obliviously stepped on Sora's tail as he passed, smothering the flames.

Sora rubbed his tail, grinning at him. "Suppose I should be glad you lack self-awareness."

Silver shrugged. "Only when I'm reading."

Sam Nash sauntered up to them. He had short black hair with red highlights that sticks up, held in place by a gold headband. His eyes were chocolate brown eyes, he stood at 6'4 feet and was athletic. He wore a knee-length, high-collared jacket that is white with red sleeves and a gold trim, with a rosary stitched on the back, a black v-neck shirt underneath, grey jeans with a fire pattern on the bottom, black boots with a white trim, a katana with a red hilt strapped on his back and a flame chain around his neck. His guild mark was located on his collarbone and is red. "Are things always this entertaining around here?"

Arthur huffed. "Pretty much, even more so now that Julie's been put in charge," he answered.

Sam laughed, taking a seat at one of the tables. "Then I think I'm going to like it here." He'd joined a few days beforehand, after the battle with Demon Fang.

"Of course, you will, who else would put up with your acting?" Alicia asked sarcastically. She had long black the tips of which were colored white, styled in twin tails that drape over her shoulders, and held together by feather shaped clips. Her eyes were cerulean colored eyes, she stood at 6'0 feet and was athletic. She wore a light grey blouse, with a purple vest over it, a matching grey skirt, and white boots that had a cross design on them. Her guild mark was located on her right palm in white.

Sam smirked at her, pretending to look offended. "Are you suggesting that my acting is bad?"

"It's more than a suggestion," Alicia countered.

A flash of bright light shone in through the window, successfully gaining everyone's attention. Luna squinted out the window. "I think that's Koan." She leaned so close that her face was almost pressed against the glass. "And he's fighting someone."

"That's not good," Julie said. She scanned the assembled wizards. "Is it someone from Demon Fang?"

Luna noticed another two figures approaching them. "I'm willing to bet on it."

"How many?"

"Two, at least."

Julie scratched the back of her head. "That's definitely not good," she repeated. Had to happen when their entire S-class was either gone or already engaged. "Anyone here fully healed?"

Sam formed a fist. "Ready and able."

"You weren't even injured to begin with," Alicia pointed out.

Julie nodded. "That's two at least."

Sora raised his hand, followed by Ashley, Luna, Kyouko and Zurdun.

Julie glanced at her arm, which was still in a bandage. "Bad time for Marcus and Raik to be away. Where'd Diana and Emma run off to?"

Zurdun cleared his throat. "I overheard them say something about going to Aphrodite's Temple; they haven't come back yet."

"They're getting closer," Luna reported.

Julie set a hand on her chin. "Okay, I've got a plan. Sam, Alicia, Zurdun and Kyouko, you go out and take care of the immediate threat."

Kyouko got a serious look on her face. "You got it!"

Sam cracked his knuckles. "We'll deal with them."

Alicia nodded in agreement.

Zurdun just grunted.

"Sora," Julie continued. "You need to report this to Marius."

Sora saluted. "You bet!" He dashed out the door, Sam, Zurdun, Alicia and Kyouko all running out after him.

Luna drew her revolver, staying near the window. "What about the rest of us?"

Julie pondered their options for a moment. "I need you on reserve, in case anyone needs help or they attack the Guildhall directly. Ashley, we're going to need you to heal any injuries they sustain."

Luna checked her ammunition. "Sure thing."

Ashley nodded, a determined look crossing her face. "I'll take care of everything."

.

Outside the Guildhall…

.

Kadir smirked at he saw the wizards run out. "First wave incoming."

Alexander strolled up to his side. "Take over: Dark Soul." He activated his transformation. He raised his hands, gathering magic in them, before clapping them together in front of him. "Shadow Warriors!"

All around the Guildhall, figures made of shadows rose up from the ground. They varied in size and shape, and all carried a broad mix of weapons. They began to saunter forwards, each at their own speed.

Kadir chuckled, glancing at the moon. "Glad to see the rumors of you being stronger at night weren't a load of nonsense."

"Hm," Alexander muttered.

Sam drew her sword, engulfing the blade in fire. He ran forward, cutting down the first of the warriors with one stroke. Only to be attacked by a much larger one.

Kyouko sprang forward, driving her palm in the shadows chest. "Sound Palm!" She sent the warrior flying backwards. She called her sword to her hand. "Who's casting this?"

Sam ran past her, tearing through another of the warriors. "Whoever it is, we need to take him down!"

Zurdun nodded in agreement. He searched the mob of shadows, eventually stopping when he saw Alexander. He narrowed his eyes. "There you are, re-quip!" He summoned his pickaxe and charged.

Alexander noticed him and tilted his head. Several of his shadows stepped in the mage's path.

Zurdun tightened his grip on his weapon, knocking two of them away with one mighty swing. He kept up his charge, easily blowing away anything that stood in his way.

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

Zurdun lifted his weapon overhead. "You're finished!" He closed in on him.

Kadir suddenly slid in his way, deflecting his attack with a shield made of shadow. He chuckled, grinning at his opponent. "Hello, Rockbreaker."

Zurdun's eyes widened. "Kadir?"

The dark mage shoved him back, he created a sword in his free hand and plunged it into Zurdun's chest. "Good to see you again," Kadir said, twisting his weapon.

Zurdun backpedaled, pain flooding his senses. He clutched his wounded chest. "Why are you-" he began to mutter. He fell on his back.

Kadir sauntered up to him. "Nothing personal." He poised himself to strike.

"Black Feathers!" Alicia yelled, covering her left hand in razor sharp feather-like knifes, which she proceeded to throw at the dark mage.

Kadir lifted his shield, blocking all of her feathers. "Excuse me for a moment," he said to Zurdun, stepping over him. He ran at his new opponent.

Alicia created a pair of black knives in her hands, still shaped like feathers. She parried each of her opponent's blows, managing to inflict minor scratches on his arms from time to time.

Kadir knocked one of her knifes out of her hand with his sword, before bringing his shield forward, smashing it into her jaw.

Alicia fell onto the ground and rolled backwards. She sat up, rubbing her mouth. "Geeze," she muttered, standing back up.

Kadir stalked towards her. "What's the matter, Angel? Having some trouble?"

Alicia re-summoned her knives.

"Alicia!" Sam yelled, seeing her peril. He narrowed his eyes. "Azure Flames of Fury!" His fire changed to a blue color. He hacked through the shadows standing in his way, letting out a ferocious shout as joined the battle.

Kadir parried his new opponent's flurry with both his sword and shield. "Hurt your girl?" he asked mockingly.

Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not his girl," Alicia growled, throwing another set of knives at Kadir.

Over by the Guildhall Kyouko found herself standing alone against the multitude of shadows. "Um, guys?" she called nervously, backpedaling until she'd stumbled into the Angel Wing garden. "Are you okay?"

The shadows charged forward all at once.

Kyouko gritted her teeth and ran into the mob, cutting down several of them before suffering a wound to her thigh. She collapsed onto one knee, still swinging her sword.

An exceptionally tall shadow lifted a hammer to pummel her.

Kyouko's eyes widened. "Oh, crap."

Before the shadow could finish her off, a vine blasted out of the ground and impaled it in the chest. It immediately faded away. More roots shot forth from the soil, mangling and destroying a good portion of the shadows.

Kyouko glanced over her shoulder and smiled gratefully.

Luna stood at the window, her arms in X formation. She smiled and nodded in response.

Kyouko picked herself back up, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. She yelled in determination, charging back into the fray.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Koan covered both his hands in hellfire, bringing them together to form a massive orb of flames. "Fire Devil's Explosive Sun!" He heaved it at his opponent full strength.

Anya stomped her foot on the ground. "Sun Devil's Stellar Defense!" A dome of gold fire poured out of the ground and surrounded her, successfully shielding herself from the attack. She snapped her wrist, causing the flames to recede. She smiled sweetly. "Like my new magic? Nagata gave it to me for this mission."

Koan narrowed his eyes. "Black Dragon! Roar!" He bellowed out a beam of darkness that devoured everything in its path.

Anya laughed cheerfully. "When will you learn? The sun doesn't just provide warmth, but light as well." She clapped her hands together. "Sun Devil's Nova!" She thrust both hands forward, releasing a tornado of golden flames.

The two spells clashed, sending bolts of darkness and fire flying in every direction. Both wizard's ceased their attacks.

Koan engulfed his feet in hellfire. "Fire Devil's Burning Heel!" He jet-propelled himself towards his opponent, slamming his foot into her stomach.

Anya gagged, sliding back a yard. She surrounded her fist in magic and delivered a punch to her opponent's cheek. "Sun Devil's Solar Fist!"

Koan stumbled to the side, the fire on his feet dissipating. "Black Dragon Wing Attack!" He rushed forward against his opponent. Producing a large stream of Darkness from each of his arms as he did so, which he swung down on her full force.

"Sun Devil's Solar Flare!" Anya launched a fireball from her hand with a punching motion. Her spell tore through her opponent's attack and hit him in the chest.

Koan grimaced, falling onto his back.

"Sun Devil's Rage!" Anya yelled, spewing out a blast of flames.

Koan hopped to his feet and jumped out of the way.

Anya giggled. "Joining Angel Wing has weakened you. You should let Nagata complete his experiments. You could grow so much stronger until you eclipse Marius himself." She held out a hand. "What do you say?"

Koan set a hand on his chin and pretended to think. "Hmm, stay here and be a valued member of a family, or go back and be a lab rat, what to do?" He frowned at her. "I think I'll pass."

Anya sighed, shaking her head. "What a shame. But in the end, we just need your body." She covered her hand in fire and slammed it onto the ground, forming a massive magic circle in the air above them. "Devil-Slayer Secret Art! Rain of Heaven: Solaris!" The magic circle began to glow. A barrage of golden fireballs poured out of the circle and rained down on them.

Koan gritted his teeth. "That's the way you want to play it huh?" He called out the brunt of his own magic. "Devil Slayer Secret Art! Red Demon: Meteor Nova Rampage!" He thrust his hands into the air. He created another magic circle on the ground, out of which came a storm of magma fists that he fired into the air.

The two secret arts collided, causing sparks to fly in every direction. Everyone within a hundred yards turned away and shielded themselves from the sheer heat and brightness of the spells. Soon the flames dissolved, revealing that both Slayers were still standing.

Anya stared in shock, breathing through her mouth. "How are you still-"

Koan threw himself forward. "Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" He punched her in the face.

Anya staggered away, trying to conjure up another spell.

Koan moved in, slamming his fists into her over and over again. With every hit his rage grew, as did his strength.

Anya could do nothing to protect herself, instead backing away until she found herself pressed up against a tree.

Koan grabbed her neck and pinned her there, still swinging away. He stopped for a moment. "Where's Nagata?" he growled.

Anya stared at him, her body shaking from fear. "I don't know! I swear! He's-"

Koan interrupted her with a blow to the mouth.

Anya coughed, shielding herself with her arms. "He never tells anyone his location!"

"I don't buy it," Koan said, raising his fist.

Anya shook her head wildly. "Please stop!" she begged, she turned away. "I know where he is!"

Koan held off his attack. "Where?"

Anya pointed towards the ruins of a nearby temple, standing a few blocks away. "He's inside there. He's projecting an image of himself in the forest with a Lacrima!"

Koan reluctantly released her, letting her crumple onto the ground. He spun towards the ruins, before sprinting in their direction.

Anya watched him leave, a sinister smile spreading across her face. "So you know where he is, what good will that do!? He's far beyond your meager power!" she shouted at him. "Devil's Advocate will rise again!"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Kadir shoved Sam into Alicia, knocking both onto the ground. "Shadow Weapon!" He created a spear and threw it at them.

"White Feathers!" Alicia cried, her magic changing color. She lifted her hand, forming a shield that the spear bounced off harmlessly.

Sam sprang to his feet, sheathing his sword. "Time to take you down."

Kadir cocked an eyebrow. "You're going to take me down, without your weapon?" he asked amusedly.

Sam focused his magic into his hand, bringing it forward. "Take this!" A blast of magic spewed out of his palm.

"Shadow Form!" Kadir yelled, his body changing form. The flames passed through him and took out a column of shadows. He returned to his original form. "Nice try."

Sam narrowed his eyes.

Alicia hopped back to her feet. "Black Feathers!"

Kadir laughed psychotically. "Oh please, what are you going to do with those?"

"Kadir," Zurdun growled, standing up behind the dark mage. He formed a fist. "Boulder Smash!"

Kadir's eyes widened. "Shadow Travel!" He vanished just before the blow landed.

Zurdun instead punched the ground, forming a small crater where he once stood. He gritted his teeth.

Sam held out his hand. "Here, let me help. Golden Flames of Purification." His flames changed from blue to gold. He carefully set his hand on Zurdun's injury.

Zurdun stared at the flames. "What do you know? It doesn't burn at all."

Sam smiled proudly. "One of my many talents."

Alicia took down a pair of shadows. She narrowed her eyes at Alexander. "We got to find a way to take him down."

Kadir appeared next to his comrade, dusting himself off.

"That won't be easy," Zurdun muttered.

By the Guildhall Kyouko continued to hold off the shadow army. A stray arrow shot from one of them hit the window and shattered it.

Luna drew her revolver and began firing at them. "These things are persistent."

Himura limped over to her side, shooting her gun into the fray. "I concur!"

Kyouko slashed her sword across one's midsection, successfully dispatching it. She backpedaled, her palms sweating and her thigh still throbbing. "Anyone got a plan?" she asked desperately.

She vaguely picked up the sound of combat to her left, cocking her ear and listening closer.

Diana suddenly tore through the crowd, katana in hand, and a pissed off look on her face.

Emma ran past her, sliding in between Kyouko and the shadows. "Did you miss us!" she called over her shoulder.

"My answer depends on your performance!" Luna called back jokingly.

Kyouko plopped down on her bottom, breathing heavily.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "In that case." She snatched up a key and held it aloft. "Open! Gate into the nine realms! Appear! Lord of thunder! Thor!" A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, hitting ground in front of her, destroying three shadows in the process.

Thor stood in front of them, wielding the mighty Mjolnir lightning hammer, he wore a strong steel chest guard and gauntlets, leg guards, steel boots and had a red cape blowing out behind him.

"Thor! Do your thing!" Emma called to him.

Thor calmly observed the army around them. He shrugged and raised his hammer; a lightning bolt came down and struck it, imbuing it with lightning magic. He smashed it onto the ground, sending out a wave that destroyed everything in a six-yard radius.

Alexander waved his hands, conjuring up more warriors to replace the ones lost.

Thor noticed the dark mage and hurled his hammer at him. It tore through a half dozen shadows before hitting Alexander straight in the chest.

Alexander fell onto his back. Instantly all of his warriors disappeared.

Thor held out his hand, causing his hammer to return to him.

Emma grinned. "Great job!" She held up her hand.

Thor smirked and raised his own, letting her give him a high five.

Luna lowered her gun. "Okay, I definitely missed you."

Diana nodded in respect, before walking off in the direction of their enemy. She noticed someone running off into the streets in the background. "Is that Koan?"

Emma hurried over to her side and squinted. "That is Koan, but where is he… Get back here you jerk!" she yelled at him.

If Koan heard, he didn't care.

Alexander stood up, caressing his bruised chest. He glared at them.

Kadir licked his lips. "Oh goody, more victims have showed up for the party."

"Enough!" a weak feminine voice called. Anya staggered up them. "We're pulling out."

Alexander sneered. "Lost your fight?"

"Silence!" Anya ordered weakly.

"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?" Alexander asked sarcastically.

Kadir chuckled. "We'll leave, as soon as I get to kill someone." He created twin swords in his hands.

Diana reached down, grabbing her new key. "Time to see what you can do," she muttered to herself. "Open! Gate of the sensual goddess of Love and Beauty! Aphrodite!"

The goddess emerged from her gate, setting a hand on her hip and smiling seductively.

Diana pointed at their targets. "Can you take care of them?"

Aphrodite gathered a pink powder in her hand. "It's insulting that you even need to ask." She blew the dust towards them, covering the wizards in a cloud.

Kadir, Alexander and Anya all began coughing wildly. But when the cloud lifted, they were unharmed.

"Uh, you might want to try again," Sam suggested.

Diana glared at him. "She meant to do that."

"You know, as a matter of fact, I changed my mind," Kadir said suddenly. He scooped Anya up bridal style. "I should get you out of here right away."

Alexander directed a glare at him, taking Anya from him. "You should?"

Anya blinked several times, glancing between the two. "I don't care who takes me! Just get me out of here!"

"Right away!" both men agreed, charging off towards the forest, still fighting over the confused woman.

"Neanderthal's," Luna grumbled.

Aphrodite set a hand on her chest. "Don't blame them darling, I used a powerful love spell on them."

"I know," Luna replied.

Diana smirked, allowing her katana to disappear.

"Now," Aphrodite said. She draped an arm over her wizard. "Which of you men would like the chance to date Diana?"

Everyone stared at the two with a mixture of shock and horror. Some of the men dove for cover, fearing the wizard's reaction.

Diana's cheeks went red. She frantically waved her arm, closing the spirits gate before she had a chance to speak again.


	18. Devil's Advocate: Koan vs Nagata

**Thank you for your reviews everyone, I appreciate all of them. Glad everyone's enjoying the story so far.**

 **Martyn: The link didn't work.**

 **This chapter finishes up Koan Crimson's character arc. Hope you enjoy, as usual, reviews are appreciated.**

April 16 X784

Diana slipped Aphrodite's key back onto her ring. In hindsight, she probably should've expected to be embarrassed by summoning a matchmaker in front of dozens of eligible males. Her blush finally receded.  
The entire Guild stared at her, either curious of or outright fearful of what her reaction would be.  
Diana quietly walked over the others, taking a quick look around the battlefield. "What caused the attack?" she asked plainly.  
"Yeah, this is a sudden move for Demon Fang, did they mention what their objective is?" Emma asked, glancing at each member that'd been involved in the conflict.  
Kyouko sat against the wall, examining her wounded thigh. "We have no idea," she muttered, setting her sword down on the ground next to her. "They just showed up out of nowhere."  
Julie walked outside, followed by Ashley. She waved over at them as she drew near. "You girls sure have a knack for showing up at the last second."  
Ashley hurried over to Kyo, kneeling down next to her. She surrounded her hands in light and gently pressed them against the wound on the girl's leg.  
Kyouko let out a breath. "Thanks, Ash."  
Luna lingered near the broken window, staring at her trampled garden in lament. She tore her gaze away from it and out towards the street. "What happened to Koan anyways? Wasn't he fighting another Demon Fang mage?"  
Emma shrugged. "Last we saw him he was darting off towards the old district. Didn't look like he was fighting anyone to me."  
Luna narrowed her eyes. "You mean he ditched us?"  
Julie raised her hands. "Calm down, Koan wouldn't run off on us for no reason."  
Alicia glanced down the street. "Um, guys?"  
Zurdun staggered over to the group, his injury had been partially healed by Sam, but it still pained him. "You think he got some information out of his opponent?"  
Sam stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Maybe, but why didn't he tell the rest of us?"  
"Guys!" Alicia exclaimed, louder this time. She pointed down the street. "Look!"  
A detachment of Rune Knights ran down the street, armed for battle. They amassed outside the Guildhall.  
"Better late than never," Julie grumbled.  
Lieutenant Haley approached the group, making a signal with her arm. "Send a detachment to secure the dorms," she ordered her men. "The rest of you fan out and search the area."  
Julie glanced at her fellow wizards. "Who wants to handle this one?"  
Alicia shrugged. "You're the one that was left in charge," she pointed out.  
Haley walked up to them, a slightly smug expression on her face. "We heard you were having some more problems Demon Fang."  
Sam crossed his arms. "You're right, we were, and if this is the Rune Knight's standard response time, I can see why you're struggling to take down actual Dark Guilds."  
Haley narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"  
Alicia elbowed him in the chest. "Please ignore him."  
Haley sighed. "Whatever." She scanned the faces around her. "Where's Marius? Isn't he around here?"  
Julie nodded in the direction of the forest. "He's going to town on Devil's Advocate at the moment. But he left me in charge of things." She pointed a thumb at herself.  
Haley slowly nodded. "We've already begun a thorough search of the area. If you wish to join in the hunt you must be accompanied by a Rune Knight at all times," she said monotonously, obviously she'd given the speech a thousand times already.  
Julie scratched the back of her head. "Koan's out there; we can't leave him, but. Is anyone even well enough to help with the search?"  
"I am," Diana answered immediately.  
Luna peered out the window. "I'm up for it too."  
Haley shrugged, signaling for them to follow her. "If you're sure, come with me. We got a lot of ground to cover."  
Zurdun formed a fist. "I should go; I need to talk to Kadir."  
Julie shook her head. "I don't think he's too keen on talking."  
"Maybe not, but I have to try!" Zurdun said determinedly.  
"Not with that injury you won't." Sam nodded at his chest. "He'd beat you to a pulp."  
Zurdun unclenched his fist.  
"Don't worry, we'll make sure you get your chance soon enough," Julie assured him. "For now, we need to help Koan with, whatever it is he's gotten himself into."

Elsewhere…

Koan came to a stop outside the ruins. Unlike the majority of the temples in Draycott, this one was even more ancient. The entire thing was beginning to crumble and had faded engravings of dragons on them. The doors were open wide, if Nagata was inside, he certainly wasn't trying to keep anybody out.  
Most of his burns were already well on their way to healing. As a result of his past, he had a healing factor.  
Koan took a deep breath and walked into the structure. The door led him into a large, open room, where the walls were covered with old tapestries, on which were images of dragons. On the far side of the chamber, the largest picture displayed a drawing of a black dragon.  
And in front of the picture stood the man who'd ruined his life; Doctor Nagata. He faced away from him, staring up at the tapestry. "In my younger years, I always wondered why the ancients revered these creatures. I always thought of them as a bunch of dim-witted beasts that acted on instinct," he said calmly if he was at all surprised at Koan's appearance, he sure didn't show it.  
Koan clenched his fists. His adrenaline starting to rush.  
"Then one day, Acnologia wiped out my home nation," Nagata continued, slowly turning around. "And to think, it only took him a day. Needless to say, my opinion on the beasts changed radically after that."  
Koan's fists unclenched for a second. "You saw Acnologia?"  
Nagata nodded. "Indeed, I witnessed the true power of a dragon." He tightened his grip on his cane. "I knew right then I needed to replicate it. Better yet, make something even greater!"  
Old memories began to resurface. Koan gritted his teeth. "That's why you did it all? For power!" He took a step forward.  
"Not just power, knowledge." Nagata tapped the side of his head. "By giving you the abilities of a dragon and a devil, I've revolutionized the study of Slayer magic. And once I have you back, I can recreate the experiment, and give the abilities to hundreds of mage's."  
Koan shook his head. "I'll never go back with you," he growled, fire engulfing his hands. "I'm never going through that again."

August 16 X781

Koan followed his girlfriend down the long path. "Will you tell me where we're going already?" he asked. So far he'd followed her deep into the forest, he didn't even remember the way back to town.  
Anya smiled back at him. "Why? Don't you trust me?" she asked seductively.  
"I hate when you say that," Koan said, sighing in resignation.  
Anya folded her hands behind her. "Don't worry, I promise it's worth the trip." She ducked under a low hanging branch, leading him out into a clearing. She stopped and twirled around. "And here we are!"  
Koan looked around him, but all he saw was a plain old forest, there wasn't anything unique about the clearing in any way. He frowned in confusion. "I don't get it."  
Anya grinned devilishly. "You don't? Maybe this will clear things up." She sauntered behind him. "Doctor!" she called loudly.  
"Doctor?" Koan repeated, scrunching his eyebrows. He heard some rustling in the trees nearby, glancing in its direction.  
Nagata emerged from the forest, calmly strolling towards them. "Hello Koan. Do you remember me?"  
Koan's skin went pale. Of course he remembered, his nightmares would never let him forget. "Nagata," he whispered. He retreated a step.  
Anya suddenly knocked him off his feet with a sweep kick, before springing on top of him. She wrenched his arms behind him and held them there.  
"Anya, what are you?" Koan gasped.  
Anya just giggled.  
"Apologies, but we needed someone to figure out whether or not you'd be a suitable candidate," Nagata said. He nodded at her. "Put him to sleep."  
Anya nodded, pinching her victim on the neck.  
"Why are you…" Koan trailed off, his vision going black.

Elsewhere…

Koan slowly stirred from his sleep. He felt cold shackles locked around his wrists, securing him to a white wall. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud, his vision finally clearing.  
Nagata stood in front of him, calmly observing his predicament. "Welcome to the Devil's Advocate Guildhall." He strolled over to a lab table. "Where we advance the study of magic."  
Koan tried to move his legs but found they two were chained down. Fear gripped him. "Please, let me go."  
Nagata shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that." He grabbed a vial containing a drop of black liquid. He poured it into a shot. "You're going to be here for a while." As he spoke other doctors began to gather inside the lab.  
Koan caught a glimpse of Anya walking by the door. He gritted his teeth, was it all a lie?  
Nagata grabbed a second vial, one containing a glowing orange liquid. He also poured that into the shot. "Tell me boy, have you ever heard of Zeref?" he asked casually.  
Koan was too scared to answer.  
"No? How unfortunate." Nagata finished loading the shot and walked over to him. "You see; we've collected the blood of his two most fearsome creations. Acnologia, and the Etherious Fire Demon."  
"What does that have to do with me?" Koan asked in a small voice.  
Nagata rolled down the boy's sleeve. "There's no need to be scared; we're about to give you their power. You should thank us." He slipped the shot into Koan's wrist, injecting him with the blood.  
A rush of energy passed through Koan, followed by a wave of unbelievable pain, causing Koan to scream in agony.

February 1 X784

Koan sat on the floor of his cell, breathing through his mouth. After attacking doctor's multiple times, he'd been confined to a straight-jacket, with a cage over his head. Every day experiments continued, each more painful than the last. The door to his cell squeaked open. He began to laugh psychotically to hide his fear.  
Nagata chuckled to himself as he stepped inside. "You know that doesn't work on me."  
Koan ceased his attempts and slid backward. "Stay away, I'm warning you!" he yelled halfheartedly.  
Nagata stared down at the boy, a smile on his face. "The years haven't been kind, have they?"  
"No, you don't look so bad," Koan retorted.  
Nagata snorted. "I see you inherited your father's wit." He let out a breath. "In any case, I have a meeting to attend, so no experiments for today. Take this opportunity to prepare yourself, I'm close to completing my work." He turned to exit his cell.  
"And then what happens?" Koan muttered.  
"I don't know," Nagata replied. He stopped before leaving and looked back at the boy. "But I can't wait to see."

April 16 X784

"You ruined my life," Koan growled, the flames around his hands intensified.  
Nagata scoffed. "Ruined?" He set a hand on his chest. "I _saved_ your life! Before I took you in you were begging for scraps from every stranger that walked your way. I gave you purpose!"  
Koan began to stalk towards him. "I'd rather have died on the streets then endure what you put me through. My parents died because of you!"  
Nagata narrowed his eyes. "Your parents lacked vision. They'd have hindered my experiments and prevented you from reaching full strength. I couldn't allow that to happen. You have so much more potential."  
Koan glared at him. "To do what? Kill your enemies? Be your puppet like Anya?"  
Nagata sighed, slowly shaking his head. "I've tried to reason with you. But it seems you really are a dim witted monster!" A magic circle appeared in front of him. "I'll just have to drag you back to the lab myself!"  
Koan yelled and charged at him. "We'll see about that!"  
"Sulfuric Pulse!" A blast of sulfur launched out the circle and hit Koan in the chest, resulting in an explosion that sent him tumbling backward.  
Koan coughed, the stench of the chemical filling his nostrils.  
"You think you're a match for me? I'm the _master_ of Devil's Advocate!" Nagata proclaimed, a white magic aura appeared around him, rivaling the strength of Ayame's. Two new circles appeared one to his right and the other to his left. "Chemical Surge!" A stream of sulfur spewed out of each.  
Koan scrambled to his feet and vaulted into the air, the spell passing underneath him. He raised his hands above him, forming a massive fireball. "Fire Devil's Explosive Sun!" He hurled it at the old doctor.  
Nagata smirked, making a few simple gestures. "Jericho!" He formed a thick circle of magic all around him; the fireball merely fizzled out before penetrating.  
Koan landed on his feet and inhaled deeply. "Black Dragon Roar!" He bellowed out a mighty river of darkness that smashed into Nagata's barrier. He kept up the breath attack for a full ten seconds before he allowed himself to stop.  
But to his dismay, Nagata's shield still held. The doctor cackled. "I took the liberty of watching your little duel with Anya through my surveillance Lacrima. I now know the full extent of your power."  
Koan's eye twitched.  
Nagata held his arms out. "Be it your darkness or your flames! I know exactly how strong your magic is, and it's not enough to penetrate my shield!"  
Black tattoo's appeared all over Koan's body as he summoned a massive amount of his energy. "You haven't seen anything yet," he growled, the angrier he became, the hotter his flames grew. "Devil Slayer Secret Art: Red Demon! Fire Devil King's extinguish Fist!"  
Koan charged his fist with fire and ran at the doctor. He punched his shield, generating a powerful explosion. He continued his barrage, each connecting strike resulting in continuously larger detonations. The last blow ending the largest one yet.  
Koan panted, his magic supply significantly lowered from using the spell. He squinted, trying to see through the smoke.  
"Not bad," Nagata complimented. The smoke lifted to reveal the old man still standing, unharmed. His barrier had suffered damage but still held. "You almost made it halfway through that time." He snapped his fingers, causing the shield to repair itself.  
Koan backpedaled, fear gripping him. "That's not possible."  
"For you," Nagata said with a shrug. He made a quick arm motion. "Sulfuric Pulse!" A blast of the chemical emitted from the barrier, throwing Koan across the room.  
Koan landed on his face. His injuries all stung, even trying to get up hurt him. He managed to climb to his hands and knees.  
"Divine Judgment!"  
Koan weakly looked up, seeing another magic circle above him. A pillar of sulfur shot down from it and hit him on the back. He screamed in pain.  
"Do you remember this spell?" Nagata called to him. "It's the same one I used to kill your father!"  
Koan's cries of pain continued until they suddenly ceased. Black circles appeared around his eyes, and he started to chuckle, which escalated into loud laughter.  
Nagata stopped his spell, taking a step closer.  
Joker rose to his feet, still cackling. "Eh, what's up doc? Long time no see."  
Nagata squinted at him, before returning the grin. "Joker, at last we meet."  
"Oh we've already met," Joker said, prancing in his direction. He pointed at himself with both thumbs. "In fact, if wasn't for you, I might've never been born. I should thank you, but instead how about I kill you?" He launched himself forward.  
Nagata stretched out his hand. "Chemical Barrage!" A magic circle appeared above his head, from which a volley of sulfuric projectiles shot out of.  
Joker weaved his way between them. "That all you got?" he taunted, creating a spear of fire in his hands. "Fire Devil's Hell Spear!" He threw it at his opponent.  
Nagata watched the spear harmlessly strike his barrier without leaving a mark. "Tsk, tsk. Brute force won't do you any good here." He lifted his cane, before banging it on the ground. "Shackles of Gehenna!"  
Nearly a hundred chains of sulfur shot out from the ground, attempting to entangle their master's opponent. Joker came to a sudden stop and bent down, placing his hand on the ground. "Black Dragon's Bottomless Pit!" He spread his darkness over a large area. Nagata's chains were pulled inside the chasm by a tremendous gravitational force.  
Nagata nodded. "Impressive." He analyzed the way Koan's alter ego moved. "You represent K-C's insanity, is that correct? If so, maybe you'll be more reasonable."  
Joker folded his arms behind his head. "I don't know about that, reason's counterproductive in my opinion."  
"Oh, but it's needed for so many different things," Nagata responded calmly. "Besides, don't you want to be the dominant personality? Come with me, let me finish my work and in exchange I'll make sure Koan's just a distant memory."  
Joker set a hand on his chin. "Oh, I don't think so. Those experiments were real painful, and not in a good way." He chuckled. "Instead, the first thing I'm gonna do is beat the old dust out of you, then, while you picking yourself up from the ground, we'll play the waiting game for the Runes Knight's to show up and take your sorry butt to the big house for retirement."  
Humor vanished from Nagata's face. He focused his magic for another spell. "I'm not going anywhere, monster."

Outside…

Luna followed the rest of the platoon down the street. "Got to hand it to Koan, he sure doesn't make it hard to find him." Everyone in the block could see the magic flashes coming from the old temple, and any wizard in the district could sense the magic from the battle. The Rune Knight's had all gathered and were in route to the location.  
Diana ran alongside her, her Assassin's Blade in hand.  
Down the street Alexander and Kadir stood in the way, Anya lay on her back behind them. Kadir sneered at them. "Do they really think they can stop us with Council grunts?"  
"Why not? They stopped you with a love spell before," Anya muttered, sitting up.  
Kadir smiled back at her. "Which you apparently could've used in your little lovers spat."  
Anya scowled at him.  
Alexander watched the Rune Knight's close in on them. "Nagata's experiment better be worth all of this trouble." He covered his hands in shadow.  
"I don't care one way or the other," Kadir said, licking his lips. He eyed the two wizards from Angel Wing. "We've got a prime opportunity to make both the plant girl and the summoner pay for humiliating us. Be a shame to waste it."  
Alexander raised his arms. "What better way to take vengeance then by trapping them in their worst nightmare forever."  
Luna noticed his preparations and stopped in place, grabbing Diana's wrist and holding her back as well.  
Alexander clasped his hands together. "Nightmare!" A wave of black shot out in front of him, enveloping the platoons front ranks. Whoever it touched collapsed onto the ground, eyes wide with terror. The spell fizzled out mere inches before reaching the girls.  
Luna sighed in relief.  
Haley glanced at her men, then back at the dark wizards. Only about a dozen of her men managed to avoid being put under the spell. "What did you do to my men?"  
Alexander prepared himself to unleash a second spell. "They're unharmed, just stuck in their worst nightmares and unable to escape."  
Luna let go of Diana's arm. "Guess we got to get past the welcoming committee first." She drew her revolver.  
Diana selected a couple of keys from her ring. "Guess so."  
Kadir stepped in front of his comrades, grinning. "Ready for the second round Angels?"  
"Shadow Warriors!" Alexander conjured up two dozen minions made from the shadows around them.  
Haley drew her sword. "Great," she muttered.  
Luna immediately dispatched two of them with a couple of well-aimed shots. "Anyway we can deal with this fast?"  
Diana held one her keys out to her left. "Let's find out. Open! Gate of The sophisticated goddess of Wisdom and Arts! Athena!"  
The goddess materialized at her side. She had black hair tied in a braided bun and golden-brown eyes. Like her brother Ares, she wore a golden armor. She smiled at her wizard. "What a joy it is to meet again."  
"Good to see you too," Diana replied. She nodded at her, than their enemies. "Mind giving us a hand."  
"Of course not Dia," Athena said.  
"Dia?" Luna repeated, lowering her revolver and glancing at her comrade.  
Diana avoided meeting her gaze.  
Luna smirked. "Cute nickname."  
"Thanks, Rose."  
"… I'm going to assume that was sarcasm."  
Athena's eyes began to glow. "In three seconds Alexander will order his shadows to charge."  
Haley cocked an eyebrow. "What?"  
Alexander nodded at his creations, causing them to immediately charge at the woman full speed.  
Luna opened fire, gunning down five of them. "We need to-"  
"Take out those shadows!" Athena interrupted. She paused for a second, glancing at the woman. "I apologize, were you about to say something?"  
Luna sighed. "Never mind."  
Haley drew back her arm, surrounding it in crackling blue electricity. "Chain Lightning!" She unleashed a bolt of energy that struck the nearest shadow, jumping over to the next underling as soon as the damage was done.  
It hopped from minion to minion until almost a dozen had fallen. Finally, it jumped from a shadow, and onto Alexander himself, sending a harsh jolt of electricity through him. He grunted in pain, losing concentration. His creations all dissipated.  
Kadir narrowed his eyes. "Shadow Weapon."  
"He's going to form a bow and shoot at Haley," Athena reported.  
Kadir conjured the weapon, shooting an arrow directly at the lieutenant.  
Haley knocked it out of the air with her sword. She pointed her finger at the mage. "Electric Surge!" She shot a stream of lightning out her fingertips.  
"Shadow Form!" Kadir changed into dark gas, causing the spell to go through him.  
Alexander stood back up, drawing his arm back. He zeroed in on the Olympian spirit. "Dark Cutter!" He unleashed a wave of pure shadow at Athena.  
Diana slid in front of her spirit, holding back the spell with her katana. Bits of darkness flared up, striking her on the arms and legs. She gritted her teeth, blocking out the stinging as best she could. She yelled in determination and pushed the blast aside, so it hit the wall of a nearby house.  
Alexander raised an eyebrow.  
Diana exhaled, falling to her knees in exhaustion.  
Athena looked at her wizard worriedly. "I cannot die; you needn't risk yourself on my behalf." She grabbed her under the arms and pulled her back up.  
Diana frowned, averting her gaze. "Yeah, well, maybe I just don't like it when you get hurt."  
Athena smiled. "Aww."  
"Yeah, whatever," Diana grumbled.  
Luna noticed a couple of dead trees standing behind the dark wizards. She smirked, putting her arms in X formation. "Moenibus!" The dead trees rose up and walked towards her opponents.  
Alexander whirled around and pointed at the nearest one. "Dark Beam!" He shot a laser that tore straight through it and went out the other end. Despite that, the tree continued to saunter towards him.  
"Shadow Weapon!" Kadir created an ax and charged at the other tree, swinging away.  
Haley breathed in deeply. "Everyone! Charge!" she yelled. The remaining Rune Knights let out a shout and ran towards the fray, weapons at the ready.

In the Temple…

"Black Dragon's Sword Horn!" Joker propelled himself against Nagata's shield at high speed, hitting it with a powerful headbutt. He pulled back his arm, engulfing it in darkness. "Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" He drove his fist into the spot he just hit.  
Nagata set both hands on his cane, watching his opponent with his calculating gaze.  
"Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" Joker covered his other hand in fire and punched the same spot. He threw another ten punches at the barrier, deviating which hand he used each time. He managed to break his way through a quarter of the wall before it repaired itself.  
"You're getting closer," Nagata commented.  
Joker growled at him. He took a step back, before leaping into the air above the shield. He drew back his fist. "Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!"  
Nagata waved one finger. "Sulfuric Pulse."  
A magic circle appeared in the air right in front of Joker. "Oh crap," he muttered before he got hit with a blast of sulfur. He fell from the air, landing on his back. "Ugh."  
"Are you sure you don't want to rethink my offer?" Nagata asked calmly. "Once my experimentation was completed, Koan would cease to exist. You would be in complete and total control."  
Joker shook his head. "No can do."  
Nagata frowned at him. "You're an odd one. Why would you protect Koan?"  
Joker folded his arms behind him. "Well doc, you could say he's my only friend."

February 2 X784

Koan heard the door to his cell open again. He started laughing psychotically.  
"Oh my, have you lost your mind already?" a familiar voice asked.  
Koan grew tense. "Anya," he whispered, slowly lifting his head.  
As he guessed, it was Anya who stood in front of him. She set a hand on her hip and smiled maliciously. "Hello Koan."  
Koan's shock quickly turned to rage. He yelled and threw himself at her. "You did this to me!"  
Anya sidestepped his clumsy attempt, tripping him, so he fell back onto the padded floor of his cell. "No need to be so vicious, it wasn't personal." She knelt down, so she was at eye-level with him. "You just had a bit of bad luck."  
Koan gritted his teeth, his anger growing stronger.  
"Really, you should be honored. After dozens and dozens of failures, we finally found the perfect candidate in you," Anya said, giggling.  
Koan went still.  
Anya raised an eyebrow.  
Koan slowly began to laugh once again.  
"Koan?" Anya asked uncertainly, shuffling back. "What are you doing?"  
Koan sat up, black circles now around his eyes. "Sorry lady, Koan's not here at the moment. You can call me Joker." He ripped through the sleeve of his straight jacket. "And as you can see, I'm a lot happier!" He held his arms out.  
Anya blinked at him several times. "What on-"  
Joker grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground and grinned. "Try not to squirm. Black Dragon Roar!" He bellowed a river of darkness out of his mouth, shattering the cage around his head.  
Anya went flying back into the cell wall, letting out a cry of pain. She slumped to the ground, her body going limp.  
Joker turned and sauntered out of his cell, whistling a happy tune.  
A pair of doctors stared at him from down the hall, eyes wide.  
Joker waved at them. "Hey there docs! I've got a question for you!"  
The doctors promptly turned and ran the other direction. "Security breach in lab A!" one of them yelled at the top of his lungs.  
Joker frowned at them. "Not answering? For shame." He inhaled deeply. "Fire Devil's Rage!" He breathed out a stream of hellfire that washed over them. "Such an unhelpful staff." He strolled down the corridor.  
A trio of security guards ran into the hall. "Take him down!"  
Joker covered his hand with fire, and threw himself into the fray. He tore his way through the Asylum, setting fires to whatever was flammable and unleashing his fury upon whatever doctors or security personnel stood in his way. He ended his rampage at the exit.  
He kicked open the door and strolled out into the snow, still whistling happily. A bolt of magic suddenly hit him in the back. He grimaced, glancing over his shoulder.  
Anya stepped outside, firing a beam of magic at him. "Just die already!"  
Joker ran at her, using his arms to shield himself. He yelled and slammed his fist into her gut.  
Anya gagged, falling onto the snow.  
Joker raised his fist, surrounding it in fire. "Still alive? Oh well, I can fix that." He brought his fist down on her but stopped an inch before making contact. The black rings around his eyes disappeared.  
Koan stared down at Anya, eyes wide. "What just happened?" He looked up, seeing the Asylum on fire. He staggered back. "Did I do that?" A jolt of pain emitted in his head.  
 _"What are you doing? Let me finish!" Joker yelled._  
Koan set a hand on his forehead, trying to fight the sensation.  
 _"After everything they put us through, they don't deserve to live!"_  
Koan gritted his teeth, struggling as the pain grew worse. He could feel himself starting to slip away. Old memories flashed through his mind, of his parents and home. He closed his eyes. "No, this isn't the kind of man I want to be."  
The pain slowly diminished. Koan stretched out his hand towards the factory, causing the fires to dissolve. He turned his back on the Asylum and began to walk away.  
 _"So that's it? You're just going to leave them?" Joker questioned._  
"That's right," Koan said aloud. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."  
 _Joker sighed. "So what now? Going to get rid of me?"_  
Koan shook his head. "No, whether I like it or not you're a part of me too." He closed his eyes. "I'm just going to have to accept you. After all, I guess you're the first friend I ever had." The pressure on his mind receded entirely, leaving him in peace for the first time in years.

April 16 X784

Joker narrowly dodged an incoming bolt of sulfur but failed to notice the second one that hit him in the stomach. He coughed several times. His entire body was covered in injuries; he could barely hold himself up.  
Nagata glanced at the temple wall. "Seems your friends are coming for you." He sighed dramatically. "I'll have to end this quickly."  
"You're not taking me down doc," Joker retorted.  
Nagata laughed. "And what are going to do to stop me?"  
Joker narrowed his eyes. "I'll tell you what I'm going to-" He stopped, setting a hand on his head. "Agh, what are you doing?"  
"Pardon?" Nagata asked.  
"Ah!" Joker yelled the black circle on his right eye disappearing.  
"What am I doing? What are you doing!" Koan exclaimed, the right half of his face seemingly acted independently of the left half.  
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm taking down Nagata!" Joker shot back.  
"You call that taking him down?"  
"Did better than you did!"  
"Oh yeah?"  
"That's right!"  
Nagata stared at the sight, uncharacteristically surprised as he watched the two personalities argue with each other. "How bizarre."  
Suddenly they stopped, turning their attention towards the doctor instead. "What'd you say you old creep!" they shouted in unison.  
Koan's half of the mouth bent upwards into a grin. "You know, I just got an awesome idea. How about we team up?"  
Joker copied the grin on his half. "Oh yeah? I suppose I can allow it, just this once of course."  
Nagata smirked. "Teaming up? What good will that do you if your power level stays the same?"  
Koan looked up at the ceiling and breathed in deeply, his cheeks puffing out.  
"A breath attack? How predictable," Nagata murmured.  
"Black Flame Dragon Devil! Roar!" Koan bellowed out a mighty stream of black flames that smashed into Nagata's barrier, tearing halfway through it before stopping.  
Nagata's eyes widened. "What on earthland?" He retreated a step.  
Koan launched forward; his speed doubled. He produced a stream of fire from one hand and one of darkness from the other. "When we work together we can combine our magic into one! Black Flame Dragon Devil!" He leaped into the air, mixing the two streams and swinging them down on the doctor. "Wing Attack!"  
Nagata thrust a hand forward. "Sodom!" He fired a powerful wave of sulfur out of his palm that counteracted the spell.  
"What the matter Doc? Weren't confident in your barrier?" Joker mocked.  
Koan landed in front of the barrier, covering his hand in magic. "Black Flame Dragon Devil! Corrupted Fist!" He punched the shield, breaking off a chunk of it.  
Nagata fell back another step. He frantically waved his arm. "Gomorrah!" A large magic circle appeared above his opponent, firing a rain of sulfur down on him.  
Koan shielded himself with his arms, gritting his teeth as several projectiles hit him.  
"Sodom!" Nagata sent the boy reeling backward with another powerful blast.  
Koan flipped over, landing on his feet. "Now that was a good combination. You're not doing too bad! But now we're going to put you into an early retirement!" He declared, surrounding himself with a powerful aura of magic.  
Nagata narrowed his eyes. "And how will you do that?"  
Koan called on all of his remaining magic, focusing it into one final spell. He closed his eyes. "The two side of the Balance we're in, Joker is Chaos, and I'm the Order since the two things never stick together, but now we're the combination of those two sides as one, and it help us stay strong of the people we care and fight for! that is a will of a hero's way!"  
Nagata poured all of his power into his shield, increasing its strength.  
"Now let our enemies be punished of their sins to hell of my flames and Darkness of light! Dragon Devil Slayer Secret Art! Nova void Flash!" Koan drew his hands back and gathered up all his Hell-fire energy. Then, he thrust his palms forward, discharging a massive radiation Black-Fire beam towards his enemy.  
It smashed through Nagata's barrier and hit him in the chest, resulting in a powerful explosion that enveloped the doctor. He howled in agony, whatever remained of his shield crumbled. Finally, the fire faded away.  
Nagata dropped his cane and fell on his back.  
Koan fell to his knees, staring at his old enemy. Pain flooded his senses, making it nearly impossible to stay conscious. "I did it," he whispered, closing his eyes. He saw a bright light all around him, in which he made out the shape of a man and a woman. "Mom? Dad?"  
"You did well son," Richard said.  
"We're proud of you," Felicia said.  
A smile crossed Koan's lips.

Outside…

Anya stared at the temple. "Impossible, Nagata was beaten?"  
Kadir sneered. "Stupid old man." He plunged a spear into a nearby Rune Knight. "Can't even defeat his creation!"  
Alexander dodged a blow from one of Luna's trees. He narrowed his eyes. "This mission has become entirely pointless. Dark Portal!" He surrounded the ground beneath him in darkness.  
Kadir shook off his attackers and ran to join him.  
Anya tried to stand but ended up falling on her butt again. "Don't leave me here!" she yelled after them.  
Kadir shrugged. "Someone's gotta take the fall for this," he smirked at her. "And it's not going to be me. Enjoy the big house!" With that, he jumped through the portal and vanished.  
Alexander calmly hopped in after him. The portal closing as soon as he was out of sight. As soon as he left, the Rune Knights awoke from their nightmares.  
Anya stared at the ground in despair.  
Luna walked up behind her, crossing her arms. "Another reason not to trust men."  
Diana glanced at her. "How many reasons do you have?"  
"Plenty," Luna answered.

Inside the temple…

Koan slowly opened his eyes. His injuries were starting to heal ever so slowly. "Saved by healing factor Nagata installed, how embarrassing."  
Across the room, Nagata began to laugh. "Bested by my own creation. In a way I suppose it's an appropriate way for Devil's Advocate to go out, knowing they've finally created the perfect monster."  
Koan shook his head. "The real monsters are you and Anya; I help people like Joker since he's like me, someone who felt sad. You need to learn the way people's lives feel, Also, take care of Anya for me, I may not trust her, but you should respect her for all she's done for you."  
Nagata stared at him, his features softening for a moment. "Very well." His gaze flickered down to his wounded body. "I never imagined I'd be defeated after all these years. I must concede that you're strong, just like your father was." His eyes began to shut.  
A squad of Rune Knights charged in through the doors.  
"Good luck in the future, Etherious Dragon Prince," Nagata said, his eyes closed entirely, and his body went limp.  
Two soldiers immediately restrained him, while others stayed back, keeping their weapons pointed at him.  
Koan closed his own eyes, letting himself drift off into darkness.

April 17 X784

Marcus opened the door to the Guildhall. "We're back everyone!"  
Raik walked in after him.  
Emma crossed her arms and smirked. "It's about time you got back. I'll have you know that while you were gone, the Guildhall was attacked, and I kicked butt."  
Marcus rolled his eyes. "Right, sure you did." He ruffled her hair, purposefully messing it up. "I doubt you were even attacked."  
Emma glowered at him. "It's true!" She brushed his arm off. "And stop ruining my hair!"  
Raik set a hand on his fellow Slayers shoulder. "You shouldn't doubt what she says so readily. You never know how much truth there is to it."  
"The Guild just happens to get attacked as soon as we leave and a fourteen-year-old Celestial mage drives them off, does that sound believable to you?" Marcus asked sarcastically.  
Diana stopped by them on her way to her seat. "It's true."  
Marcus smirked. "She got you in on this too?"  
Diana narrowed her eyes. "In on it?"  
Marcus looked around, half expecting to see recording Lacrima watching their every move. "This is repayment for her finding that key for you, right?"  
"This isn't a prank!" Emma yelled at him.  
"Good to see your back," Marius said, walking up to them.  
Emma perked up. "Master, can you please tell him what happened during the attack?"  
Marius shrugged. "I wasn't there, remember?"  
"Ugh!"  
Marcus stared at him blankly. "You mean, there was actually an attack?"  
Raik nodded knowingly. "I told you."  
"Oh shut up," Marcus muttered.  
Marius patted Emma on the shoulder. "She can fill you in later. For now, let's hear about your trip, did you find what you were looking for?"  
Marcus sighed. "Afraid not. Found some interesting books on the history of Slayer magic, but nothing that helps us improve."  
"Found a book about Phoenix's, but was geared more towards myth than fact," Raik said.  
"A shame," Marius said. He reached into his coat. "Lucky for you, I think I've found something that can help." He withdrew two old books, holding it out to them. One on Dragon Slaying, the other on Phoenix Slaying.  
Marcus took the book and flipped it open. "Whoa." There was all sorts of information inside, from slaying elements, to spells, to information on the dragons themselves.  
"Where did you get these?" Raik asked, amazed at the contents of the manuscript.  
Marius strolled past them. "They were written by Master Japheth way back when. How he got so much info? I have no idea. In any case, they're all yours, take good care of them."  
Marcus' eyes flickered up from the book. "Wait, why didn't you tell us this before we left?"  
Marius shrugged. "You didn't ask."

Elsewhere…

Marius opened the door to the hospital room and stepped inside. "Glad to see you're finally awake. You were starting to get us worried."  
Koan lay in a hospital bed, covered in bandages. He grinned at him. "Don't worry, give me two days and I'll be back at full strength!"  
Marius laughed. "Try not to rush. You deserve a rest." He grabbed a card from his jacket's pocket and tossed it to him. "From the Guild."  
The card was covered in over a hundred signatures, most of which were so small that you could barely even make out which name was which. Koan squinted at it. "Is that your name?"  
Marius set a hand on his chin. "Nope, that's Morrigan's… In hindsight, I probably should've bought a bigger card."  
Koan set the card down next to him. "Glad everyone else is okay."  
Marius sat down on a bench next to the bed. He folded his hands. "You disobeyed my orders. I told you to stay away from Nagata and let me handle it."  
Koan smiled bitterly. "Yeah, sorry about that. It's just, my father and mother both died when they got between Nagata and me, and Angel Wing took me in, treated me like family. I didn't want any of you to get pulled into my fight."  
"Your fight?" Marius asked. He shook his head. "You're a part of Angel Wing; your battles are our battles. It was dangerous for you to go in alone."  
Koan laughed. "But I wasn't alone, I had Joker with me."  
Marius smirked. "Guess so." He stood up. "On a lighter note, you don't have to worry about Devil's Advocate anymore. Anya and Nagata are in jail, together with the other fifty members I beat up in the woods."  
"First Crimson Sphinx and now Devil's Advocate. At this rate, we'll topple the Alliance in no time!" Koan said enthusiastically.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

Dragon sat facing away from Kadir and Alexander, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Nagata was defeated by one of Marius' little minions?" he asked coldly.  
"Yes master," Kadir answered.  
Dragon closed his eyes. "Leave me." He heard their footsteps, followed by the sound of the door shutting behind them. One of his finest defeated by a lone wizard of Angel Wing, he had a hard time believing it.  
If his men were right, Angel Wing posed a much larger threat than he gave them credit for. He opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He'd have to move up his plans, but first, he needed something to draw their attention away from him.  
"Matsudo!" Dragon called.  
The door to his office flew open; his right-hand man appeared in a flash of light. "Yes master?" he asked calmly.  
"Tell Abbadon to hurry his search, the time has come for his student to collect the blessing of the Ice Basilisk," Dragon instructed. He crossed his arms and stared out the window.  
"Of course sir. It will be done."

 **Next arc: Guardian of the Forgotten Beast**


	19. Guardian of the Forgotten Beast

**Thank you for your reviews everyone, they're very appreciated.  
Martyn: I update when I can, it usually won't take _too_ long, but sometimes I get writers block.**

 **By the way, if you have a specific idea for a minor character for your OC's arc, PM me and I'll give you a shortened version of the bio for you to fill out. If not, don't worry about it. I'll make the characters myself.  
**

 **Anyways, on the with the story. I'm starting part one of Alderic Notre Viktoriya's OC arc. Hope you enjoy.  
**

April 30 X784

"Why does Master Dragon want to see me?" Alderic asked. He followed Matsudo up the spiral stairs, leading them to the top floor. The Demon Fang Guildhall was built like a castle; it had many rooms and levels. The second highest floor was the S-class lounge, above which was Master Dragon's chambers. None but Matsudo dared go up there unless they were summoned. He wore his casual outfit, consisting of a white shirt, rolled sleeves with suspender on his black pants; black boots and a matching fedora.

"That's correct, there's something that he wants to speak to you about," Matsudo replied, casually strolling up the stairs. He set a hand on his chin. "There are a few things you should know about Dragon before you meet him."

Alderic raised an eyebrow. Few in Demon Fang knew anything about him. His interested was piqued. "Like what?" he asked.

Matsudo came to a stop in front of an iron door. "He prefers his personal space, so stay at least ten yards away from him at all times."

"Noted. Anything else?"

"He prefers things to be concise, so no unnecessary words." Matsudo slipped a key into the door, unlocking it. "One last thing, never ask any questions about his appearance or his identity. That's one thing he can't tolerate." He shoved open the gate. "Good luck to you."

Alderic nodded, walking past him and into the chamber. He heard the door shut and lock behind him.

Dragon sat across the room on a black leather chair. He faced away from him, staring out the window. "Alderic Notre Viktoriya, we meet formally at last." He held out a file. "You've provided excellent results so far."

Alderic drew closer, stopping exactly ten yards away. "Thank you master."

Dragon nodded. "I have a new quest, specifically for you." He opened the file, withdrawing a single page. He set it on the ground and slid it back to him.

Alderic stepped on the page as it came near. He bent down and picked it up. The details were minimal, to say the least. All it did was list the general location and how to find the client; who wasn't even named.

"You can bring along three members of your choice to support you, if they interfere with your quest, they'll answer to me."

Alderic folded the page and slipped it into his pocket. "It will be done."

"One last thing, I want you to wear disguises until you reach your destination. Blend in with the general populace; no unnecessary conflict, you 'll need your energy for the mission," Dragon said. He waved his hand. "Now be gone, I have much work to do."

Alderic nodded. He exited the chambers, proceeding down to the S-class lounge. He immediately noticed Kadir and Fenris hanging around.

Fenris stood at the pool table. When he noticed Alderic, he smirked. "Look who's back." He chalked up his pool stick. He wore a simple gray T-shirt with black pants. "How'd things go with the boss man?"

Alderic studied the two. "I've been assigned a new mission. I'm allowed to form a team with three other wizards."

Fenris stopped his task. "Oh really?"

Kadir frowned slightly. "I see where this is going."

Alderic gestured for them to follow. "I've decided that you two will be a part of that team."

"Yeah? So we get to kill anyone?" Kadir asked.

"Not unless it's necessary," Alderic said firmly.

Fenris shrugged. "Ah, what the heck?" He tossed the pool stick down. "Beats sitting around here all day. What's the mission?"

Alderic walked towards the door. "We'll found out when we arrive."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Kyle turned the page of his book. A couple of days ago he'd picked up a mystery novel from town, and had started reading. It gave him pleasure to solve the case before the detective did. He sat down on a couch in the lounge, a plate of cookies sat on the coffee table in front of him. He had on a black shirt with dark brown slacks and black sneakers.

Amelia entered the room, giving him a slight nod of acknowledgment. Over the weeks the two had built up respect for each other, mainly because without the other, there'd be no one in the Guild smart enough to give them an intellectual challenge. She wore a black trench coat that reached down to the ground, with lots of pockets for her dolls, a bloody red and black tight leather top that shows her stomach, and long black leather pants

She took a seat next to him, eyeing the novel. "A mystery novel?"

Kyle nodded, keeping his eyes on the page. "How'd you know?"

"The title implied it was either that or a romance, I hardly considered the possibility that you were reading the latter," Amelia explained. She folded her arms behind her head. "What's it about?"

"You must be bored out of your mind," Kyle deduced.

Amelia closed her eyes. "Correct, why else would I be talking to you?"

Kyle chuckled. He turned to the next page. "It's about a jewelry store robbery, a bunch of diamonds are taken and a private detective is put on the case to find out who did it. A cliché premise but fascinating read so far."

Amelia nodded. "Who are the suspects?"

"The cashier, the store owner, and another police detective."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "That's simple; it 's clearly the officer."

Kyle's eyes flickered from the book to her. "Oh really? So far all evidence points towards the cashier being the criminal."

"Exactly, they'll make you think it's him before the protagonist comes across a vital piece of evidence that incriminates the detective. Authors do it all the time to show off how clever they are," Amelia explained.

Kyle looked back to his book. "Ah, but since that's become such a cliché, authors have evolved. Now the hero finds evidence pointing towards the detective, only to later discover it was forged by the obvious suspect in his master plan to frame an old enemy of his."

The corner of Amelia's mouth lifted into a smirk. "Alright." She nodded at the novel. "Care to find out who's right?"

Kyle returned the smirk. "Sounds good to be." He flipped forward to the end of the book, scanning the past few pages for the big reveal. He stopped when he came across it, his amusement vanishing.

Amelia crossed her arms proudly. "Told you so."

"Actually, it was the store owner," Kyle said.

Amelia's smirk also disappeared. "What?" She scooted closer, reading over his shoulder.

Kyle held it up to her. "Read it and weep. The store owner wanted the diamonds for himself, so he faked a robbery."

Amelia stared in disgust. "That's so stupid!"

Kyle shut the book, before promptly tossing it into the trashcan. "Thanks for convincing me to flip ahead, now I don't have to read the rest of that garbage."

Amelia sighed. "Whatever." She leaned forward, exposing a gold necklace that hung around her neck.

Kyle smirked. "Speaking of a jewelry store robbery, where'd you get that."

Amelia grabbed one of the cookies. "My latest victim. An entrepreneur from a merchant Guild. Once I got one of his hairs, it was quite easy to get him to hand it over, along with everything else he had on him." She took a bite of the treat.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kyle said.

Amelia glared at him. "What are you? My conscious?"

Kyle shook his head. "No, I meant you shouldn't have taken a bite of that cookie."

Amelia put on a fake look of sympathy. "Why, were you going to eat it?"

"Nope but Akita was," Kyle replied.

Amelia choked, spitting out whatever she could. She proceeded to bury the remains of the cookie underneath the rest of them, wipe her mouth, and scoot away from the plate.

Alderic stepped inside the lounge, nodding at them. "Amelia, I need you come with me."

Amelia furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh? And where would I be going?"

"On a mission," Alderic answered. "Master Dragon's assigned me a special quest, and has allowed me to select a team to accompany me." He gestured towards the front door.

Kadir and Fenris both lingered near the entrance, clearly ready to go.

"Between them and me, we have plenty of brawn, all we need now is some brains," Alderic said.

Amelia lifted the corner of her mouth into a smirk. "Sounds intriguing, I'm in."

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

"Let's see here…" Julie scanned the list of available jobs. "How about a job to find a magic mirror? Pays five-hundred thousand." She glanced over her shoulder.

Morrigan shook her head. "We're splitting the pay between the three of us; it wouldn't be worth it." She crossed her arms and frowned. "Besides, isn't there anything a little more, challenging on the board."

Raik stood next to her, simply nodding along as she spoke.

Julie sighed. "Okay." She found a different request. "Instead, we can attack a group of bandits for a million."

Morrigan shrugged disinterestedly. Her eyes wandered the request board, stopping on one hanging near the corner. "What about that one?" she asked.

Julie raised an eyebrow. "What one?"

Morrigan pointed at it.

Julie grabbed it and briefly read it over. She paused. "Slay an unknown mountain dwelling monster, reward; ten million jewel."

"That's a big payment, what kind of monster are we hunting?" Raik asked curiously.

Julie shrugged. "Doesn't say, just that it's a supposedly mythical creature."

"Did you say a mythical creature?" Silver asked. He walked by, covered in sweat from his latest mission. He held a book from the library in his hands.

"Yeah, you know anything about it?"

Silver nodded. He closed his book. "I've read about some." He set a hand on his chin. "I vaguely recall a story about some monster that lived in the mountains. I don't remember the details, but it's a dangerous one."

Morrigan smirked, an eager gleam in her eyes. "Sounds like fun to me."

Julie scratched the back of her head, chewing on her lip. "I don't know about this one guys. I mean I love adventure, but this is a few hundred off from being an S-class quest, and Kayden and Arthur are both away on jobs."

Raik glanced over his shoulder. "In that case, may I suggest that we expand our ranks a bit? What about you Silver? Care to join us?"

Silver shook his head. "Still recovering from my last job." He noticed several members of the Guild all eating at the bar. "But it looks like plenty of people are absent at the moment. You should try asking them."

Julie turned to her teammates. "We each recruit one more member, deal?"

Morrigan nodded. "Deal."

"Of course," Raik said politely.

Silver watched the three depart. Whatever job they were going on, it was going to be an interesting one. He noticed Luna walk by and hesitantly waved at her. "Good morning."

"Morning," Luna murmured, passing by him.

Silver stared at her. She didn't growl at him, or even frown. "Okay, that was a little weird."

Petra overheard him and sat down at his table. "What's weird?"

"Luna, I said good morning to her and, she wasn't mean."

Petra frowned in confusion. "Luna's never mean."

Silver rolled his eyes. "Well yeah, not to you and other girls. But she usually growls at any guy that tries to talk to her."

Petra shrugged, smiling in her signature fashion. "Maybe she's in a good mood."

"Probably, but why?" Silver wondered. He noticed Julie and Raik pass by, now with Sora and Javael following them.

"Figures you'd pick Sora," Julie complained, leading the newly formed group towards the door.

Raik stared at her quizzically. "Why does it figure?"

Javael stood at the back of the team, his hands in his pockets. "Because he's you without any discretion," he muttered to himself.

Sora crossed his arms, trying to look angry. "Now that's just rude!"

Morrigan joined them near the door; she had an iron grip on Diana's wrist, which she used to drag her along. She scrutinized her teammates picks, eventually nodding her approval. "Good choices." She raised her arm, lifting Diana's in the process. "I've also found us a recruit."

Julie raised an eyebrow. "How'd you pull that off?"

"She didn't," Diana grumbled.

"If I asked, she'd have said no," Morrigan retorted.

Diana sighed. "Can't argue with that."

"You'll get a big reward," Javael pointed out.

Diana glanced at the flier, noticing the large reward. She relaxed a bit, giving Morrigan the confidence to let go of her. "Alright, I'm in," she said reluctantly. "Where are we going?"

Julie folded up the request, stuffing it in her pocket. "Mt. Hakobe, to slay a monster."

.

At Mt. Hakobe…

.

Alderic led the team up the mountain slopes, treading through the deep snow. All had switched into their winter outfit, each hiding their Guild emblems and their faces as best they could.

"Our client lives out here?" Kadir grumbled.

Alderic continued onwards, unaffected by the snow and cold. "According to the report, yes."

Fenris folded his arms behind his head. "I wonder who this guy even is. We're not exactly renown for taking personal quests. Whoever this guy is, he must be pretty influential, and rich."

Amelia remained silent throughout the conversation, studying Alderic intently. She grabbed Fenris' arm, slowing him down, so the other two pulled ahead. "I have a question for you."

Fenris smirked at her. "Isn't Kyle usually your go to guy for that?"

Amelia exhaled overdramatically. "True, but since he's not here, you'll have to do. What do you think about Alderic?"

"Huh?" Fenris muttered, staring at her in confusion. "Well, he's a tough wizard and seems pretty sharp. Why?"

Amelia set a hand on her chin. "Doesn't he seem a little too, innocent, to be a part of Demon Fang?"

"Now that you mention it, he can be a bit of a boy scout," Fenris admitted. He waved his arm dismissively. "But I wouldn't worry about that, we all got our reasons for joining Demon Fang."

Amelia kept her gaze fixed on Alderic. "I know just about everyone's motives for joining; he 's one of the few I have no idea about."

Alderic frowned, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging from the look he was receiving from Amelia he had a feeling it was about him. He shook it off, whatever they were wondering about it was none of their business. Through the snow, he made out the shape of a small wooden cabin. He sped up, gesturing for the others to do the same. "That's where our client said to meet him."

"Unsuspecting little place isn't it?" Kadir asked rhetorically.

Alderic stepped up to the door and knocked loudly. He waited a minute but received no answer, so he tried again, but still no one answered.

"Sure there's not a secret knock?" Fenris asked humorously.

Alderic sighed, knocking even louder. Once again there was nothing.

"Okay, if this idiot doesn't answer the door soon I'm going to kick it down," Kadir said, pounding his fist against his palm.

Amelia scoffed. "Love to see you explain that one to Master Dragon."

Alderic pulled back his arm again when the door was suddenly jerked open by a middle-aged man. He lowered his arm and stared at him. "Abbadon?"

The man in front of him wore a black winter coat with a fedora on his head. He smiled. "Hello Alderic, good to see you again."

"Wait; you two know each other?" Amelia asked.

Alderic slowly nodded, his expression betraying nothing. "We do. Though I'm as surprised as you are to see him here."

Abbadon stepped to the side. "I had a personal request for Demon Fang. Now please, step inside, I'll fill you in on all the details."

Alderic entered, followed by the rest of his team. The interior of the cabin was very plain, with an old couch, some wooden benches, and a lit fireplace. He sat down on a bench. He closed his eyes. A flood of memories resurfaced. For a moment his face betrayed remorse. But he quickly caught himself and shut it out.

Alderic's took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Everyone had taken a seat and now waited for their client to speak.

Kadir rested his elbow on the arm of the couch. "Who are you exactly?"

Abbadon sat down next to the fire. He folded his hands in front of him. "As you know, my name is Abbadon, your master and I have a shared objective of sorts. He wants the riches, knowledge and power I've gathered over the years, and I want to find the dwelling place of the Basilisk."

"What are you talking about?" Alderic asked. He studied him curiously.

Abbadon stood up and strolled over to the bookshelf, filled with books on mythology. "Long ago, when dragons still ruled earthland, there was another creature, strong in its own right. Legend has it that they conquered Mt. Hakobe from the humans that once lived there. Afterward they burrowed into the mountain itself, and made their home there."

He let out a long sigh. "But unfortunately, like the dragons themselves, the existence of the basilisks has been called into question and is now widely considered to be a myth."

Alderic furrowed his eyebrows. "And you're saying they exist?"

Abbadon's face lit up with excitement. "Precisely! And I now I've finally pinpointed their exact location." His expression suddenly became serious. "But so has someone else. They've put out a request to have them all slain!"

"But why would they do that? Is it ravenous?" Alderic asked, setting a hand on his chin.

Abbadon shook his head. "No, they're not."

Amelia narrowed her eyes. "And how do you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

Abbadon set a hand on his chest. "I don't, but Petrov does."

Alderic's eyes widened. He stood up and took several steps towards him. "Hold on, are you saying that-"

"Yes, Petrov saw the Basilisk with his own two eyes. He told me all about it," Abbadon said, smiling wistfully.

"What's this creature like? And why did he visit it?" Alderic asked. His team stared at him, each confused at his sudden reaction.

Abbadon slipped his hand into his pocket. "See for yourself." He drew out a small icy blue gem. "This is known as the Basilisk Gem, a gift from Demon Fang to help me complete my mission. Channel magic into it, and it'll guide you to your objective." He held it out to him.

Alderic took the gem from him. "Understood."

Abbadon sat back down on his chair. "Succeed in this mission, and Demon Fang will have my full support. And all of you will be rewarded with a very large sum of jewel."

Kadir jumped to his feet. "When you put it that way. How can we refuse?"

Alderic stored the gem away in his pocket. "Let's get going. I have a lot of questions for this Basilisk." He turned to leave, setting his hand on the doorknob.

"It was good to see you again Alderic," Abbadon said casually.

Alderic waited for a moment, before nodding. "You as well." He opened the door and exited the cabin, followed closely by the rest of his team.

"Well, that was interesting," Fenris commented. He stretched out his arms. "I just hope whoever comes after this thing is S-class. Otherwise this won't be worth our time."

Amelia sauntered over to Alderic's side. "So, how do you know our client?" she asked innocently, her curiosity finally getting the best of her.

Alderic glanced at her warily. "He's my mentor."

"Oh really? And what about Petrov? Who's he?" Amelia asked, looking as nonchalant as she could.

Alderic started walking up the slope. His expression darkening. "He was my father."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Julie watched the team stumble after her, her blue eyes displaying clear pride. "I told you Diana can't cook," she scolded light-heartedly. Of course, the team had stopped for food before entering the mountains. Everyone but her made the mistake of letting the Celestial wizard cook for them.

"We should've listened," Javael grumbled, pulling his hood forward to cover his sickly face.

Sora groaned loudly, setting a hand on his stomach. "Ugh, eating's never been so unpleasant for me."

Morrigan managed to keep her composure. "Stop your complaining, she took the time to cook food for all of us; we should thank her." Her anger vanished, replaced with disgust. "Even if it did taste like crap," she added quietly.

Diana walked behind the rest of the group, buttoning up her winter jacket. The crescent tattoo on her collarbone still visible. "It's not that bad." Though she tried not to show it, she also looked a little nauseous.

Raik raised his arm. "I for one am grateful for the meal she made for us. Even if she does have much to learn about proper cuisine."

Diana sighed. "Gee, thanks Raik," she mumbled.

"You're welcome."

Javael looked up at the looming mountain. "Where is this monster? Does the request provide any details?"

Julie shook her head. "Not really, just that it lives up high." She pointed up at the summit. She smirked. "Not all that informative huh?"

Sora sniffed the air a few times. "I don't smell anything weird." His right ear stood up straight for a second. "Or hear anything that for matter."

"I don't smell it either," Raik agreed.

Diana increased her stride till she was near the front of the team. "In that case, looks like going up is our best bet."

Morrigan nodded. "Then let's get going." She narrowed her golden eyes. "I want to see what kind of monster we're dealing with here."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Alderic pulled the Basilisk Gem, holding it out in front of him. He channeled magic into it through his hand, causing it to emit a soft blue light that shot out, forming a long trial in front of them.

He raised an eyebrow; it almost seemed too good to be true. Where did they even find the diamond in the first place? He led the group along the path, bringing them up towards the summit.

Kadir suddenly came to a stop. "Hang on a second." He turned his gaze towards the horizon, noticing a half-dozen strange figures approaching. All of which resembled apes with white and gray fur.

"Vulcans," Fenris muttered distastefully. He'd taken a few jobs where he'd had to face them, not very fun.

Amelia felt a shiver run through her. She took cover behind Alderic and Kadir, glaring at the approaching animals.

"What are you so scared of?" Alderic asked.

Amelia crossed her arms. "I hear those things are a bunch of perverts."

Kadir snorted. "And you believe that?"

"Actually, she's right," Fenris grumbled.

"See!" Amelia exclaimed.

Kadir rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Shadow Weapon." He created a spear in his hands. "They're still a bunch of light weights. Easily taken care of."

The pack started to draw near, as they did, Alderic's irritation grew. He had an important mission, one that both his father and his mentor were a part of, and he had to stop to take care of a flock of animals?

Alderic raised his arm, his white eyes narrowing. "Dark Ice Magic: Crystal!" He swept his arm in their direction. A cluster of ice blasted out of the ground in front of them, taking out the entire group all at once.

Kadir allowed his weapon to dissipate. "Show off."

Alderic resumed following the trial without saying a word. He was going to find the Basilisk, and nothing was going to stop him. Their path led them up a steep path that continued for almost a hundred yards, eventually they reached a cliff that looked out over all the terrain they'd just crossed.

"If nothing else, this quest is good for a workout," Fenris commented. He strolled up to the edge of the cliff and admired the view.

Alderic looked up at the mountain, trying to gauge how far their objective was. "We should keep moving, at best we're only halfway there." He began to walk forward.

Fenris tapped him on the shoulder. "Hang on; we got company." He nodded in the direction they came.

Alderic stopped, scanning the terrain below. Not far off, he noticed another small group coming their way, this time, they were all human. He squinted at them, seeing a few familiar wizards in the bunch.

"What do you know? Angel Wing took the job," Kadir mused, chuckling to himself. "This couldn't have worked out better."

Amelia giggled, drawing out one of her dolls. "Not only do we get to complete our mission, but kill a pack of foolish Angels at the same time."

Alderic shook his head. "No, we won't."

"What?" Fenris asked, glancing at him quizzically. "You're not turning coward on us, are you?"

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "If we engage them now, we'll blow our plan. We need to beat them to the Basilisk instead."

Fenris reluctantly turned away from them. "If you say so."

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Whoa." Julie eyed the scene in front of her. Large crystals of ice protruded from the ground, around which the unconscious forms of six Vulcans lay. "Check that out."

Javael cautiously approached it, kneeling down in front of one of the animals. "Whoever did this, they're probably still around. This couldn't have happened more than an hour ago."

Diana set a hand on one of the crystals. The ice had been mixed with shadow magic, giving it a dark tint that made her feel a little uneasy. She recalled the fateful battle at the Asylum weeks earlier. "It's Alderic."

"From Demon Fang?" Sora asked.

Morrigan frowned at him. "No Sora, from Fairy Tail," she said sarcastically.

Raik knelt down, sniffing the area around the crystal. He picked up an odd mixture of scents, one of which he remembered clearly. "Kadir's with him too, and at least, two others."

"This mission is getting a lot more difficult," Javael said.

Diana removed her hand from the crystal. "If Demon Fang wants this monster, we can't let them have it."

"No kidding, who knows what they're planning to do with it," Sora agreed. The fur on his tail standing up straight at the thought.

Julie leaned against one of the larger crystals. "You think you can track them Raik?"

The Slayer inhaled deeply, before nodding. "I believe so, but we'll need to hurry, the scents faint."

"Then we'll have to pick up the pace," Morrigan said. A wave of crimson energy coursed through her. "Whatever they want with this beast; they won't have it."

.

Elsewhere…

.

The mouth of a great cave loomed in front of the Demon Fang team, seemingly inviting them in. Lanterns of blue fire hung around, each spaced apart by three yards. Cold air seeped out from inside, covering the inner and outer walls in a layer of ice. The group stood ten yards away, all hesitant to enter.

Alderic's heartbeat increased. His father visited this place; he needed to know why, regardless of what the outcome may be. He took a deep breath and entered the cavern. The moment he did a wave of freezing air washed over him. Despite his resistance to cold, he shivered.

The rest of his team followed, each muttering curses at the freezing temperature. Fenris covered himself in boiling water to try and counter it.

Alderic pushed onwards, his determination growing with every step. He allowed himself to think back, to the time before Demon Fang.

.

January 17 X776

.

"Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" Alderic shot three projectiles at a nearby training dummy, pelting its chest, causing it to fall on its back. He grinned and spun around. "How was that?"

Petrov smiled at him proudly. "Very good. You're quick on the uptake."

"So what's next? Are there any other spells you can teach me?" Alderic asked eagerly, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. Ever since he found out he had magic, he'd been training almost nonstop.

His mother; Aprilia watched them from the kitchen window, smiling encouragingly at the scene.

Petrov laughed, rising to his feet. "Slow down; you can't rush training. You have to take some time for everything to sink in." He turned over to the house. "Let's go inside for now; I 'm sure your mother's almost finished making dinner."

Alderic perked up and hurried after him.

Aprilia smiled at them as they stepped inside. "Perfect timing." She walked over to the table, setting down three plates. "I just finished."

Alderic hopped into his seat. "Thanks mom," he said cheerfully.

Petrov also sat down. "You're good to us April."

"Indeed I am," Aprilia said, joining the two at the table. "So, how's the training going?"

Alderic swallowed. "Great, I've already mastered a bunch of basic spells." He suddenly frowned. "But dad thinks I'm rushing it."

"Is that so?" Aprilia asked.

"Yeah, now I got to wait till tomorrow," Alderic muttered.

Petrov smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid it's going to be a bit longer than that. Like I said, I'm going on another mission. This one's going to take a while too."

Alderic looked down at his soup. "Oh yeah, I forgot." His father worked as an independent wizard. Without a Guild to give him information, taking jobs was a lot more difficult. He had to wander around, collect sources and take care of the problem without any backup. That usually kept him away from home for extended periods of time.

"Is there any other way I can train?" Alderic asked hopefully. The conversation was interrupted by the sound of loud knocking.

"Who could that be?" Aprilia wondered.

Petrov got up and walked over to the door and opened it.

Abbadon stood on the other side, a friendly smile on his face. "Hey there Petrov, been a while hasn't it?"

Petrov's blinked at him in surprise, before returning the smile. "Abbadon! Didn't expect to see you back so soon," he said. He stood to the side, gesturing for him to enter. "Come on in."

Abbadon stepped inside, entering the kitchen. He noticed the mother and son eating, causing his smile to vanish. "I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?"

Aprilia shook her head. "Of course not. Please, take a seat."

Alderic grinned at the man. His father's best friend, and another independent wizard. He visited so often; he was pretty much considered to a member of the family. On top of that, he was one of the few others who new Dark Ice Magic.

The man noticed him and nodded. "Hey there Alderic, how are you doing?" he asked cheerfully. The rest of the meal was spent catching up with Abbadon, who'd recently returned from another long mission.

"You finally made enough to take a break?" Aprilia asked.

Abbadon laughed heartily. "That I have. Last jobs payout was so big; I've got jewel to spare." He looked up at the ceiling. "I'm planning on taking some time, and traveling around Fiore. Just realized how little I've seen of this land. Be a perfect time to catch up on my training while I'm at it."

Petrov folded his arms behind his head, growing quiet for a minute. "Would you happen to have room for a guest on that trip?"

Abbadon shrugged. "Sure, why do you ask?"

Petrov sighed, staying quiet for a minute. "Alderic, he wants to continue his training, and I'm about to go on a mission. Do you think you could train him for me?"

Aprilia dropped her spoon into her bowl. "Hold on! How long would he be away?"

Abbadon scratched the back of his head. "A couple of years at most."

Aprilia chewed on her lip. "Can't we just send him to train in Master Ion's magic school? It's only a few towns over."

Petrov scoffed. "Right, that'd be the day."

Alderic cocked his head. "What's so bad about me training with Abbadon?"

Aprilia sighed, grabbing her spoon again. "Nothing, but are you sure you want to keep training?"

Alderic nodded. "I'm sure."

Aprilia smiled hesitantly. "Okay, I agree."

"Then it's settled, we'll leave in a few days," Abbadon said.

.

October 21 X777

.

Alderic wiped the sweat off his brow, his magic supply almost empty. He glanced back at his mentor hopefully.

Abbadon nodded. "That should do, for now, take a break." He turned towards his house. "I've got some business to take care of."

Alderic immediately plopped down on the bench, grabbing his water bottle and downing it in one gulp. He sat in the midst of a snowy forest, where he typically did his training.

His departure from home was a bittersweet one. His mother only let him go after a thorough lecture on how to act while she kept hugging and crying. His father had to pry her off of him.

Abbadon took him further up north to the outskirts of Whitehorn; there he owned a large house. Alderic's training was harder then he thought, but in the end, it advanced his skills significantly. Nearly two years passed had passed since then.

"Hi there," said a voice, coming from behind him.

Alderic instinctively whirled around, his arm accidentally smacking a young girl on the nose.

"Ow!" the girl exclaimed, rubbing her nose. She glared at him. "Rude! Didn't your mom ever tell you not to hit girls?" She had wavy black hair and golden brown eyes. She looked to be a year younger than himself at nine-years-old.

Alderic glanced at his arm, taking a second to register what just happened. "Sorry, I didn't mean too!" he insisted.

The girl calmed down. "It's okay," she answered, smiling at him. "I'm Irina Rainheart, what's your name?"

"Alderic," he replied, relieved to see the incident had past. "Do you live around here?"

Irina bit her lip, averting her gaze. "I guess you could say we just moved here."

"Really? In that case, maybe we'll see more of each other," Alderic said cheerfully, oblivious to what she meant.

Irina laughed nervously. "Oh, I think we will."

"Huh?"

Abbadon walked back down the forest path, a young woman accompanying him. One that looked remarkably similar to Irina. "Alderic!" his mentor called. "We're going to have some guests at the house for a few days."

Alderic stared at the woman for a second, before turning his gaze over to Irina.

A playful smile crossed the girl's face. "It's rude to stare too you know."

"You're going to be staying with us?" Alderic asked.

Irina pouted. "No need to act so disappointed about it," she said, putting a little sob in her voice.

"Huh? I didn't mean it like that! Honest!" Alderic said frantically.

"Irina," the older woman said sternly.

Irina slipped her hands into her pockets and smiled. "Just messing with you."

Alderic blinked at her a few times. "You were?"

Abbadon chuckled at the scene. "Tomorrows lesson is going to be on how to see through deception."

.

January 2 X777

.

"So you're leaving?" Alderic asked, disappointment clear in his voice. In the months Irina had stayed he'd gotten to know her quite well. She often joined in on their training while her mother worked a part-time job in the city.

Irina lugged a heavy suitcase over to the carriage, tossing it in with the rest of their stuff. She dusted her hands off. "Afraid so," she answered with a bitter smile. "Figured now was the best time to do it since you're heading home anyways."

Alderic nodded, he supposed that made sense. "Where are you going?"

"Margaret Town, moms going to join Lamia Scale," Irina said excitedly. She locked eyes with him, an idea clearly dawning on her. "When you get older you should join us too!"

Alderic paused, taken aback by her sudden exclamation. He recovered and smiled. "Maybe I should."

"Irina!" her mom called.

Irina smile faded. "Guess that's my cue." She walked up to the carriage door and popped it open. She waved at him. "See you later!" She slipped aboard, disappearing.

Alderic watched the carriage depart, waving to them as they went. He stopped to consider her offer, maybe joining a legal Guild was a good idea. His dad was never a big fan of the Council, but they couldn't be all that bad, right?

.

January 8 X777

.

Alderic stuck his head out the carriage window, eagerly looking ahead towards the village. "You think my dad got back from his quest safely?" he asked.

Abbadon laughed, lounging back in the seat next to him. "Of course. He's one of the strongest wizard's alive. No simple mission can trip him up."

Alderic finally caught sight of home out in the distance. He frowned in confusion. "It looks different from what I remember."

"That's natural, it's been two years since you've been home," Abbadon replied. He closed his eyes. "I'm sure it must've grown over time."

Alderic shook his head. "It's not that." Even from a distance, he could see that many of the buildings had suffered severe damage, some had been knocked down entirely. Few people could be seen, as opposed to the busy town it'd once been. By the entrance, a pair of Rune Knights stood guard. "It almost looks, dead."

Abbadon sat up straight and opened his eyes. "Huh?" He peered out his window; his eyes widened slightly. "Whoa, what happened here?" The carriage pulled into town, stopping at the town hall and letting them out.

More Rune Knight's patrolled the area, fully armed. Alderic looked around. "Is this really home?" he asked uncertainly.

Abbadon set a firm hand on his shoulder. "Come with me," he muttered, guiding him down the damaged street. At the end of which stood the remains of Petrov and Aprilia's old home. Now nothing but a ruin.

Alderic froze, staring at the remains with widened eyes. "Where's, mom and dad?" he asked nervously, his voice choking up.

"Hold on now, let's not jump to conclusions," Abbadon said quickly. He noticed a Rune Knight passing by and waved him over. "Excuse me sir! Do you know who used to live here and where they are now?"

The man halted, glancing at the destroyed house. "Of course, that's where the Dark Guild Master Petrov used to live, leveled it and him, along with his wife, in the attack a month ago."

Alderic stiffened.

"What are you talking about?" Abbadon demanded, grabbing the man by the collar. "There's no Dark Guild in this village!"

The soldier let out a brief yelp. "We didn't think so either! But the Council told us that-"

"They were wrong!" Abbadon yelled, throwing him into the rubble.

The Knight's words echoed in Alderic's head over and over again. His muscles tensed and his facial expression hardened. "The Council, they did this?" he muttered.

Abbadon stalked over to the downed soldier. "Who led the attack!? Tell me!"

He scrambled to his feet, drawing his sword and pointing it at him. "I don't talk to scum like you buddy!"

Abbadon covered his hand in ice and swatted the weapon out of the man's hand. "How about now?" he asked coldly.

The soldier stared at his empty hand. He began to back away. "It, it was Captain James Vandal!" he blurted out. "He led the attack!"

Abbadon lowered his hand. "Vandal?" he repeated, his tone betraying fear.

The soldier saw his opportunity and ran towards the town center. "Intruders! Help!"

Abbadon sighed. "Great." He turned towards his student. "We need to get out of here before that loudmouth gets every guard in the city on us." He paused.

Alderic clenched both fists, tears pouring from his eyes. "Why would they do this? Just because he didn't agree with the Council! Is that why they attacked him!" he shouted. "I'll kill them for this! All of them!"

Abbadon closed his eyes. "I understand." He noticed Council reinforcements incoming and bent down, grabbing his students arm. "But not now, you need to complete your training. Or they'll kill you too."

"Take them down!" a soldier yelled.

Alderic wiped his eyes with his sleeve, nodding at his mentor's words. "How can I take down the Council?"

Abbadon grabbed his wrist, shaking his head sadly. "They're too strong to handle alone. You'll need to find allies. Whoever they may be."

.

April 30 X784

.

Alderic subconsciously reached up, setting his hand on his right arm. There the mark of Demon Fang decorated the back of his shoulder blade in white. He narrowed his eyes. He'd searched hard, and in the end, he knew he'd finally found the Guild strong enough to grant him his revenge.

He saw the end of the tunnel ahead of him and increased his speed. The cold grew nearly unbearable as he drew near. Finally, he came to the end, stepping out into a massive opening in the cavern.

The roof of the cave was shaped like a dome, supported by a thick pillar of stone. He looked down, but the floor was so far down he couldn't even see it. He signaled for the rest of his team to hold back.

"What is it?" Kadir asked.

Alderic glanced at the Basilisk Gem, but it had stopped painting a path for them. "This is where the trail ends; it should be here."

Amelia groaned. "You've got to be joking."

Alderic shook his head. "Afraid I'm not."

"Then what do we do?" Fenris asked.

Alderic scratched the back of his head. He tried to recall anything Abbadon said that might give him a clue. "I don't know; maybe we should-" He paused, feeling a slight vibration in the floor.

"Did you feel that?" Amelia asked.

The ground shook again, this time much stronger. In front of them a great monster, resembling a snake, coiled up the side of the rock pillar. Its scales were pitch black, and violet markings covered its back. The width of the beast was about the height of a full grown man while the length was comparable to a five car train.

Alderic took a step back, his jaw dropping. "Dear God," he whispered.

The Basilisk lowered his head, so he was at eye-level with him. His forked tongue flickered out for a second, a loud hissing noise escaping him as he did so. "Alderic Notre Viktoriya," he said in a raspy voice. His pure white eyes focused on the team of Dark Wizard's. "We've been expecting you."


	20. Guardian of the Forgotten Beast part 2

**Thank you for the feedback everyone, it's very much appreciated. This part will be finishing up Alderic's character arc. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Credit for this arcs story idea goes to Sergeant Major. Stalker**

April 30 X784

Alderic stared at the great beast, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I thought this was a nest of Basilisks, aren't there any others?"  
The rest of his team inched away from him, a little nervous about what would happen if the monster turned against them.

The Basilisk let out a long hiss. "Has it been so long that the world's forgotten? Our kind was driven to the brink of extinction by the war between dragons and man. Those of us that remain have taken shelter here, underneath our old home; Mount Hakobe."

Alderic set a hand on his forehead, apparently dragons weren't a myth either, by that logic every other mythical beast in legend might be real after all. He shook it off, remembering his team. He nodded back at them. "Head over to the entrance, make sure Angel Wing doesn't come crawling up behind us."

Amelia frowned at him. "And what are you going to do?"

Alderic returned his attention to the great snake in front of him. "I've got a few more questions to ask."

The Basilisk chuckled, his tongue flicking out. "Yes, I had a feeling you would."

Fenris shrugged. "Whatever you say." He turned around and began to stroll towards the exit. "We'll try to leave a couple of them for you."

"Right," Kadir muttered sarcastically, following him out.

Alderic studied the creature in front of him; it resonated an eerily familiar magic power, almost the same as his.

The Basilisk laughed. "So you noticed did you? Yes, we have the same magic."

Alderic shook his head. "Impossible, how could you have my magic?"

"On the contrary, you have mine." The creature blew out a gust of cold air, covering the ground in front of Alderic in pulsing black ice. "Your power originated with us, in a way that makes you similar to the Slayers."

Alderic furrowed his eyebrows. "Who are you exactly?"

"I am Mobia," he replied, an icy mist pouring out of his mouth as he spoke. "The Ice Darkness Basilisk."

Outside…

Amelia leaned against the side of the cave, glaring into the tunnel. "Alderic gets to converse with a beast from mythology, what do we get? Guard duty."

"Doesn't bother me," Fenris said with a shrug. He sat down on a rock next to the entrance.

Amelia scoffed. "Of course it doesn't."

"Just be glad you got to see it at all," Kadir muttered to her.

Amelia opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly shut it and dove to the ground. A streak of blue and purple energy streaked over her head and smashed into the side of the cave.

Fenris jumped to his feet and scanned the horizon, immediately noticing a group of six running towards them. "I got to give them credit, didn't take them long to find us."

Amelia picked herself up, sneering in their direction. "I thought Light Guilds had some rule against attacking without warning?"

"Guess not," Kadir said casually.

Amelia huffed.

Angel Wing closed in on them, spreading out as they did.

Fenris cracked his knuckles, eyeing each of their members. "Remember; we got to keep them from reaching the Basilisk at all cost."

"Yeah, I got it," Kadir said, rolling his eyes. "Shadow Weapon!" He created a rifle and aimed it at Julie. "I'll take care of everything." He squeezed the trigger, shooting a black projectile at her.

"Speed Force!" the wizard cried. She ran straight at them, whirling around the bullet in the process.

Fenris frowned. "Agile one isn't she?" he asked rhetorically. He withdrew a throwing knife from his coat.

"Tell me about it," Kadir grumbled, taking aim again. He opened fire on her, and Fenris joined in, hurling knives at her with pinpoint accuracy.

Julie continued to dodge around them with relative ease, stopping only to stick her tongue out at them. "That the best you can do?" she taunted.

"You need to cast your net wider," Amelia instructed.

Fenris nodded, kneeling down and setting his hands on the ground in front of him. "I've got just the spell." The snow in front of him melted into water, combining with his magic to form a great wave. "Tsunami!"

Julie slid to a stop, attempting to run away. But the wave crashed down on her, washing both her and the snow down the slope. She came to a stop in front of the rest of the team.

Javael stopped, signaling for the others to run ahead. "You alright, uh, Jewels," he said, still getting used to referring to someone by a nickname.

Julie sat up, spitting out a mouthful of water. "Just peachy."

Sora sprang forward, landing on all fours and arching his back. "Needle Spray!" He launched a barrage of arrows at the three dark wizards.

Kadir held out his arm. "Shadow Tendrils." Black strands poured out of his fingertips and snatched each spike out of the air as they came near.

"Re-quip!" Morrigan called a long sword to her right hand. "Sacred sword of the fire, Clarent!" She sliced through the tendrils that drew close to them, halting the spell before it could go further.

Fenris raised his arm, causing the snow around to melt and form into a giant orb of water above him. "Evil Explosion!" He hurled it at his foes with tremendous force.

Sora backed away. "Uh oh. Anyone have a defensive spell?"

"None that are strong enough," Morrigan answered.

"Flow 15!" Javael jumped in front of them, raising a powerful shield of red light. The spell collided with it, resulting in a powerful blast of water that sprayed the Angel Wing team with mist.

Sora sighed in relief. "We owe you one."

Javael lowered the barrier, taking a deep breath. "Don't mention it. Flow 5." He reduced his power to less exhausting measures.

Julie rejoined the team. "So, anyone got a game plan?"

Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the cavern. "The monster is in there, and so is another Demon Fang wizard. Whatever they're doing, I say we put a stop to it."

Raik raised his hand. "I'm in agreement."

"You'd agree with her no matter what she said," Javael pointed out.

"Razor Mists!" Fenris formed a volley of knives from more melted snow and unleashed it upon them.

Javael lifted another shield to defend them. "So how do we get past them?"

Diana took out a glass key. "I know who can find out. Open! Gate of The sophisticated goddess of Wisdom and Arts! Athena!" A crimson magic circle appeared at thetip of her key, out of which emerged the goddess herself.

Athena smiled warmly, setting a hand on her chest. "Ready and able."

Morrigan lowered her weapon and stared at the spirit, eyes widened. "Mother?"

"Say what?" Julie asked.

Athena glanced at the Slayer and waved. "Hello sweetie."

"Seriously?" Diana asked the key slipping from her hand and falling onto the snow.

Athena frowned at her wizard, crossing her arms. "First, you stare, now you drop my key? You're certainly rude today."

Diana quickly knelt down and picked up her key, brushing the snow off of it. "It was an accident," she said defensively.

Morrigan crossed her arms and turned her chin up. "Clumsiness is just another sign of carelessness."

"Which can get you killed in battle," Athena finished.

"Like mother, like daughter," Diana grumbled.

Raik cleared his throat. "Excuse me for questioning you wise women, but might I suggest we refocus on the task at hand?"

"That'd be nice," Javael groaned, struggling to keep up his shield.

Diana nodded at the cavern. "We need to find a way to get past Demon Fang and into the cave, any ideas?"

Athena set a hand on her chin, studying the battlefield. "I know just the strategy," she said, grinning eagerly. "Morrigan, you take position to the left of Javael, Raik, you move to the right."

The Slayers obeyed her orders, Morrigan with a knowing look on her face.

"Javael, you stay where you are and don't move, draw their attention with ranged spells," Athena instructed. A golden spear materialized in her right hand. "Sora, Dia, and Julie, you charge down the middle in order and take down the one in the center. I shall accompany you if you permit it."

Diana assumed position. "We'll be glad to have you."

Sora leaned over to Morrigan. "Your mom's hot," he whispered to her.

Javael sighed. "Don't make this weird."

Athena luckily hadn't overhead. She raised a hand. "Ready, go!"

Instantly, the team charged, leaving only Javael behind. He conjured a bow of energy and took aim at Kadir, firing arrow after arrow at him.

"Shadow Weapon!" Kadir yelled, creating an ax he used to knock each incoming projectile out of the air. He licked his lips. "Want a fight do you? Well, you got one now!" He ran at him, leaving his teammates behind.

"Hey!" Fenris protested, nervously glancing at his charging foes. He retreated a couple of steps. "Well, guess I'm getting a tougher fight than I thought."

Amelia lounged by the sidelines. "I'll take a couple of them off your hands for you." She held out a strand of autumn brown hair. She slipped it into one of her dolls. She manipulated its legs. "I got a lot of souvenirs from the Asylum."

Sora suddenly whirled around and knocked Julie to the ground with a swift kick to the gut. "What's going on!?" He started throwing punches at Diana, no matter how hard he tried to resist.

Diana ducked under his punch and took him off his feet with a sweep kick.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "A martial artist, I always wanted to fight one." She turned the doll on its head and started moving its legs. "But it's a lot more fun to watch someone else do it for me." She giggled.

Sora flipped over, hitting Diana with a powerful kick. "What the heck is going on?"

Morrigan and Raik continued their charge, closing in on the cave.

Fenris stood in their way, a smirk on his lips. "That's as far as you go. Razor Mists!" He shot a volley of water knives at them.

Morrigan blocked each with the flat of her sword, only getting nicked once on the arm.

Raik drew back his hands. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" He shoved them forward, firing seven star-shaped projectiles at their opponent.

Fenris waved his arm. "Please, Mist Shield!" He created a wall of tightly compressed water particles, holding back the assault. "You'll have to do better than th-"

"War God's Shock Leg!" Morrigan ignited her leg in crimson energy and drove it into the water mage's exposed knee.

Fenris' taunt turned into a shout of pain. He fell on his knee, gritting his teeth. Morrigan and Raik dashed past him and into the cave, one on his left the other on his right. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing them disappear down the tunnel. "Crap," he muttered, the mission was in Alderic's hands now.

Inside…

"Abbadon said my father Petrov came here, is that right?" Alderic asked. The thick stone walls drowned out the sound of battle and made it hard to sense any magic presences.

Mobia was silent for a moment. "Yes, Petrov visited this place before. He protected us from a dangerous monster hunter."

Alderic took a step forward. "What happened when he was here? Can you tell me?" he asked quickly. Before the creature could answer the distinct sound of footsteps echoed through the tunnel.

Mobia hissed. "We've run out of time."

Morrigan and Raik came into view, running towards them at high speed.

Alderic's muscles tensed. "Angel Wing," he growled.

Mobia opened his mouth, spewing out a blast of black ice, creating a wall dividing them from the Slayers.

Alderic nodded at him. "Good job."

Something pounded against the barrier, causing a crack to appear. A second one followed shortly after.

"That won't hold them for long," Mobia said.

Alderic glanced back at him. "Is there any other way into the Basilisk's Sanctuary?" The wall was struck again, creating another pair of cracks.

"There are," Mobia answered.

Alderic kept his gaze fixed on the withering shield. "Then we have to operate under the assumption that Angel Wing has found them all. You need to go down and protect your fellows." He narrowed his eyes. "I'll take care of this."

Mobia hesitated. "Are you certain?"

Alderic nodded. "Go!" he said firmly.

Mobia slithered down the pillar, towards the sanctuary. "I wish you luck, Alderic Notre Viktoriya." He disappeared down the pit.

Alderic took a deep breath, his adrenaline starting to rush. If Mobia and the rest of his kind fell, everything his father worked to protect would also die. He ground his teeth together. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Cosmic Phoenix! Talon!" Raik kicked through the barrier, sending shards of black ice spraying in every direction. He slid to a stop about ten yards away. He eyed the pillar where he last saw Mobia. "I see your friend made a run for it."

Alderic scoffed. "I don't need his help to defeat you." He pushed up the brim of his black fedora.

Morrigan stepped through the hole, holding Clarent in her right hand. She set her other hand on her hip and grinned. "Alderic I presume, Diana recognized your handiwork against the Vulcans."

"The glass key user? I remember her." Alderic said rhetorically, recalling their battle at the Asylum. He instinctively set a hand on his neck, where she'd wounded him. He shook it off and analyzed the two Slayers; he female was known as the War Goddess of Fiore, her abilities were impressive. The male, on the other hand, was known as Raik the Phoenix, he possessed an all but unheard of Slayer magic.

"I wonder, what does Demon Fang want with that monster?" Raik mused.

Alderic held his hand in front of him. "To protect it from you." He slowly lifted it up. "Dark Ice Magic: Crystal!" Chunks of dark ice burst out of the ground underneath his foes, throwing both into opposite walls.

Morrigan landed on her feet and opened her mouth, inhaling the fury in the air, her cheeks puffed out as the power level grew. "War God! Bellow!" She released a tornado of crimson energy, illuminating the dark cave.

Alderic set the palm of his hand on the ground in front of him. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall." A slab of ice formed in front of him. The breath attack slammed against it, surprisingly failing to penetrate.

"Darkness magic," Morrigan deduced.

Alderic smirked. "A weakness of yours I presume." He prepared another spell.

"But not one of mine," Raik said casually. He ran forward, submerging his fist in magic. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" His punch broke through the barrier and hit his opponent on the cheek.

Alderic stumbled back to the end of the ledge. A few inches were all that kept him from plummeting into the pit. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" He created three projectiles and threw them at the Slayer.

Morrigan stepped in front of her comrade, engulfing the blade of her sword in fire. She cut the ice chunks out of the air with one stroke of her weapon.

Raik stepped out from behind her and inhaled. "Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" He exhaled a stream of energy into their foe's chest.

Alderic stifled a groan as a burning feeling washed over him. He fell to his knees, shielding his face with his arms.

Raik let up on the attack. "Ready to surrender yet?"

Alderic lowered his arms. The moment the stream had ceased the burning had changed to freezing, so cold even he could barely stand it. "Not even close. Dark Ice Magic: Armor!" He covered himself in a thick layer of ice and ran forward.

Raik stepped in his way. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He swung his arm forward.

Alderic strengthened the ice around his hand and did the same. Their fists collided, shattering part of his armor. He landed a blow on his opponent's forehead with his free hand, following it up by kneeing him in the gut.

Raik gagged, falling back a step. He whipped out one of his knife's and lunged at his foe's neck.

Alderic blocked with his fist, allowing the weapon to embed itself in the thick ice where it got stuck. "Nice try." He slammed his foot into the Slayers' knee.

Raik grimaced, accidentally letting go of his knife. He stumbled away from his foe, tripping on a piece of ice and falling on his back.

Morrigan stabbed her sword into the ground in front of her. She smirked at the scene. "Finally getting serious? I guess that means I should do the same." She took out a bandana, using it to tie up her maroon hair.

Alderic charged towards her, drawing his arm back to strike.

Morrigan stepped to the side, extending her leg, so he tripped and face planted on the icy ground.

Alderic glanced over his shoulder, seeing the Slayer calmly staring down at him. He scrambled to his feet and let out a loud shout, lifting his arms to pummel her.

Morrigan casually reached back, grabbing the hilt of Clarent. She ripped it out of the ground and slashed its burning blade across her foe's chest.

Alderic gritted his teeth, glancing down at his armor. The sword had passed through it as though it were made of butter. "How did it do that?"

"Clarent is a sacred sword, not even your dark ice can stop her," Morrigan answered. She took a step to the right, revealing Raik, now on his feet again.

"Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" Raik pelted the dark wizard with a volley of seven stars, breaking the majority of his armor and causing him to fall back against the wall.

Morrigan stepped in front of him. "War God! Bellow!" She blasted Alderic with a swirling vortex of energy, covering him from head to toe in agony.

Alderic slumped down to the ground, panting heavily.

"You live up to your mother's name," Raik complimented.

Morrigan smirked, clear pride on her face. She noticed the opening the cavern. Her expression became serious again. "Let's get going; we still have to slay the Basilisk to complete the mission."

"Of course."

Alderic's senses slowly returned, he vaguely saw the two walking towards the entrance to the Sanctuary. He clenched his fists; he couldn't let them hurt Mobia or the others. He climbed onto all fours.

The Slayers paused and glanced back at him. "If you stay down you'll survive," Raik said, narrowing his eyes.

Alderic rose to his feet, setting a hand on the wall to steady himself. "You won't hurt them," he growled, focusing his magic. He could ignore the pain a little longer.

Morrigan scoffed. "I'll give you points for perseverance." She turned around to face him. "But how do you plan on defeating us?"

Alderic focused his magic, spreading it evenly throughout his body. "Let me show you. Dark Ice Magic: False Promise!" He covered himself with a powerful layer of frost, an even darker shade of black than his previous armor. Two swords also formed in his hands. He let out a loud war cry and charged.

Outside…

The battle cry echoed through the tunnels until it finally reached the outdoors. Javael paused, stealing a glance at the cavern entrance. "What was that?"

Kadir chuckled, he swung his mace forward, hitting him on the side of the head. "About time he got serious."

Javael winced, falling back a step. He narrowed his eyes. "Flow 15!" He enhanced his abilities further, creating an ax in his hands, knocking his foe's weapon out of his hands. He tightened his grip on his weapon and swung at him.

"Shadow Strike!" Kadir vanished a second before being hit. He arose from Jav's shadow and tackled him.

Fenris smirked as he too heard the shout. "Going all out huh?" He waved his hand, manipulating the water to strike at Julie. "Must be one heck of a fight."

"Speed Force!" Julie cried, dodging the first few streams until one finally hit her in the stomach. She growled, scrambling back to her feet.

Amelia casually glanced back at the cave, still controlling Sora. "He should use Dark Pact and put an end to it already."

Inside…

Alderic and the Slayers clashed in the narrow tunnel. Engaged in a brutal melee, the sound of which echoed throughout the cave.

Alderic held off his foe's assault, his armor protecting him from whatever blows he failed to parry. He managed to inflict minor wounds on both his opponent's, but using False Promise was starting to train his energy.

Morrigan expertly parried the majority of his attacks, her eyes noticing his every movement he made. She counterattacked on several occasions but managed only to damage his armor.

Raik, on the other hand, was out of his element, he used his knives and magic to fight as best he could, but received several injuries in the process.

Alderic locked blades with Morrigan, using his superior strength to shove her backward. He quickly turned and sliced his weapons across Raik's stomach in an X pattern.

Raik let out a brief cry but composed himself in time to guard against his opponent's next attack.

Morrigan recovered from her stumble. Noticing her partner's distress, she tightened her grip on Clarent and ran back towards the fray.

"Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" Raik hit Alderic just below his neck, cracking the armor and knocking him back.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. He noticed an opening and tightened his grip on his swords. The moment the opportunity presented itself he slashed his sword across the Slayer's neck.

Raik's mouth fell open, rare surprise crossing his face. "What do you know," he muttered, before falling on his back.

Morrigan dug her heel into the ground, coming to an abrupt stop. She glanced at her fallen teammate. "Raik?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

Alderic shook his head. "Such a waste."

Morrigan's gaze turned from her comrade to him. She yelled in anger and unleashed herself upon him, raining down blows before he even knew what was upon him.

Alderic desperately retreated from her assault. His armor cracked, and shards of ice broke off. She almost drove him back to the ledge before he retaliated. He swung Mist at her with all his might, blasting Clarent out of her hand.

Morrigan stopped for a moment and glanced at her empty hands.

Alderic smirked. "Got you now!" He slashed at her head.

Morrigan snapped out of her shock and ducked underneath the incoming blow. She surrounded her fist in crimson magic. "War God's Crushing Fist!" She struck him in his exposed head.

Pain erupted in Alderic's head; he could see cracks forming in his helmet.

Morrigan ignited her foot in even more energy. "War God's Shock Leg!" She pounded him in the same spot with a mighty kick.

Alderic groaned, falling back a step, his helmet on the verge of shattering.

Morrigan held her hand an inch in front of his face. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She shot an orb into his face, point blank range.

The armor on Alderic's face shattered. He could feel his left cheek burn from the spell's impact. He let out a yell and dealt her a blow to the chest using both swords.

A tiny gasp escaped Morrigan's lips. She fell back, grabbing Clarent in the process.

Alderic smirked at his progress. It'd been a hard battle, but victory was at hand. He felt a buildup of magic further down the cave. He glanced at Raik's body, seeing a wave of violet energy cover it. "No way," he whispered.

The wound on Raik's neck vanished, along with every other injury he sustained. "Cosmic Rebirth." He sat up, any previous sign of fatigue was gone. He leaped to his feet and cracked his neck. "Alright ice boy, time for final round."

Alderic shook his head. "Impossible."

Morrigan herself seemed plenty surprised by his recovery. She scanned him up and down for wounds. "How on earthland did you do that?"

Raik glanced at her apologetically. "A Phoenix Slayer can cast Rebirth every three days, healing all injuries and restoring all magic. I apologize profusely for worrying you."

Morrigan huffed and turned away. "Forget it."

Alderic lifted his swords in front of him. He steadied his breathing.

Raik smirked at him. "Allow me to take care of the rest for you good lady." He ran forward at full speed. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He slammed his hand into Alderic's lower chest, annihilating the armor there.

Alderic's eyes widened as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. He gritted his teeth. "I won't lose!" He unleashed a flurry of attacks upon his opponent.

Raik dodged between each and every one of them with ease. He surrounded his foot in a purple glow. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!" He pounded his foot into his foe's shoulder, causing the ice there to shatter as well.

Alderic staggered to his left. His eye twitched, he was too fast.

"Cosmic Phoenix Wing Attack!" Raik hit him with a powerful wave of energy, knocking him to the end of the ledge.

Alderic stabbed his swords into the ground to prevent himself from falling. He glanced down at the pit. The basilisks were all depending on him to stop them here. No matter how strong they were, he wounded give in.

Raik sucked in. "Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" He roared out a river of energy.

Alderic crossed his swords into X formation, using them as a shield. While effective, by the end of the breath attack the blades were destroyed. He tossed the useless hilts to the side. He glared at the Angels.

Morrigan walked up to her partner's side. "All this to protect a monster?"

Alderic cocked an eyebrow. "Says the woman who's come all this way just to slay it."

"You can't beat us," Raik said calmly.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "Watch me." He summoned a large amount of his remaining energy, using it to create a bow and arrow. He drew the string back to his cheek, training it on his opponent's.

Morrigan took a step forward.

Raik set a hand on her shoulder. "No need." He stepped in front of her. "I've learned a new spell from the book Master Marius gave me. One that should prove useful." His eyes turned pure black.

"Abaddon's Secret Art: Frozen Arrow Barrage!" Alderic released the arrow, watching it fly forward at great speed. Halfway towards his opponent it broke into a hundred different projectiles that all soared towards the Slayers.

Black cosmic energy surrounded Raik. He formed a spinning orb in his hands. "Black Hole!" He thrust his hands forward, creating a swirling vortex of magic in front of them. It sucked in each and every one of the arrows.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "Not bad."

"It's about to get better," Raik replied. He waved his hand, causing a black laser to shoot out of the black hole and into his foe, breaking whatever remained of his armor.

Alderic gasped as the searing pain surrounded him. He gritted his teeth, he wouldn't lose, not to Council dogs. He summoned almost all of his remaining power. "Mark of the Dark Abyss!" His eyes morphed, so they glowed a dark blue color.

Raik's own eyes turned back to normal. "What the heck?"

"Dark Ice Magic: Crystal!" Alderic raised his hand. Massive chunks of blasted out of the earth, blowing the two away.

Morrigan flipped over and landed on her feet. She breathed in. "War God! Bellow!"

"Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall!" Alderic conjured up a barrier of ice that kept the breath attack at bay. He waved his hand, causing it to dissipate. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" He shot a volley of twelve projectiles at the pair.

"Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" Raik yelled, firing seven stars from his hands that destroyed a portion of the bullets. But the rest pelted them.

Morrigan growled at him. "You can't hold us back forever!" She grabbed Clarent and charged.

Raik ran alongside her. "That spell won't save you for long!"

Alderic steadied his breathing, watching the two close in. He still had one last spell. He covered himself in a dark aura. "Dark Ice Magic!" He channeled it all into his hands and lifted them in front of him.

The Slayers drew within ten yards of him.

"Dark Pact!" Alderic yelled, releasing a mighty wave of shadow from his hands. One that swept away the duo, sending them flying down the tunnel.

Outside…

The battles all ceased, every wizard present sensing a massive amount of magic. "What was that?" Julie wondered aloud. She glanced at her teammates.

Javael shrugged.

A blast of darkness roared out of the cavern, carrying Morrigan and Raik along with it.

"No way," Javael whispered.

Raik fell onto the snow behind Julie, Morrigan landing a few yards to his right.

Kadir chuckled. "Seems your friends had a small problem?"

Julie scowled at him. "We'll make you pay for this." She started to take a step forward.

Diana grabbed her arm and shook her head soberly.

Julie reluctantly pulled back. "Let's get them out of here; we're going to have to call this one a failure," she murmured, bending down and propping up Raik.

Sora, now free of Amelia's control, hurried over to Morrigan. He grabbed her arm and yanked her up. "I got her," he said, 'accidentally' positioning himself, so his face was close to her large chest.

Diana and Javael kept themselves facing towards Demon Fang, ensuring they didn't take advantage of their situation.

"This isn't over," Javael said, backing away from the cavern.

"It is for you," Fenris replied. He raised his hands, calling on the water around him.

Diana whipped out a key. "Open! Gate of The youthful god of the Sun and the Music! Apollo!"

Her summon emerged from his gate. He landed in front of them, clapping his hands together, causing a high pitched ringing to hit all the dark mages in front of him.

Fenris grimaced, losing focus on his spell.

"Let's go!" Javael urged, turning around and running.

The rest of Angel Wing ran after him, leaving the mountain behind.

Inside…

Alderic sat down on the end of the ledge, his wounded body aching from the battle. His magic had been almost entirely drained, leaving a cold feeling behind. He reached up and straightened his fedora. In the end, at least, they accomplished their mission. He heard three sets of footsteps approaching him. "Sorry for not making it to the entrance," he said casually.

Fenris laughed heartily. "Don't worry, looks like you pulled your own weight to me. That was some good work."

"Thanks," Alderic said.

Amelia frowned. "We saved the Basilisk, now where are they?"

Kadir shrugged. "Who cares, they're not the ones giving us our reward."

"On the contrary," a loud voice boomed down from beneath them. Mobia slithered back up the stone pillar.

"Mobia," Alderic greeted.

"You've done well, on behalf of all my kind, I thank you," Mobia said. He held out his tail to them. "And I invite you to follow me."

Amelia furrowed her eyes together suspiciously. "And where would we be going?"

Mobia chuckled. "Others wish to extend their gratitude."

Alderic climbed onto the creatures back and held on. If his father trusted them, so would he. The rest of his team all hopped on after him.

"Good, now, hold on," Mobia said. He coiled back down the pillar, descending deeper into the cave. It became even colder the further down he went. Until at last he came to the bottom.

A massive circular chamber surrounded them, with dozens of tunnels leading all throughout Mt. Hakobe. Torches of blue fire cast flickering light throughout the room, illuminating dozens of the beasts. All had the same black scales that Mobia had, but their markings varied in color.

"You've got to be kidding," Amelia whispered.

Mobia came to a stop, letting the team disembark. "Welcome to the inner Sanctuary young wizards."

Alderic stared at the scene in front of him in awe. "How long have you been hiding here?"

"Since the end of the great war," a new voice said. A particular Basilisk slithered forward, one with red markings. His size was almost double that of any of the others and his eyes were red. "We sought refuge here where neither dragon nor human could reach us."

Alderic blinked at him a few times. "Who are you?"

"My name is Apep, the Ice Chaos Basilisk, I rule the Sanctuary and once reigned as the king of this entire region" the creature replied. "Until that accursed dragon struck." He hissed angrily at the memory.

Alderic glanced at the ceiling. The scene of a great battle had been engraved, one between man, basilisk, and dragon. He assumed it to be the one that killed off the majority of their kind. "How did my father and I end up with your magic?"

Apep chuckled wistfully. "The story of your magic is an old one. Back when the war began. I was aware that we'd soon be targeted for our territory and allegiance. So I decided that we should gift loyal humans with our power, so they may assist us in battle."

"You mean like Slayers?" Amelia asked.

"In a way," Mobia replied. "But as we can be slain by all forms of magic, if humans used it against us it'd be more of a hobble than a boon."

Apep locked eyes with Alderic. "In especially unique occasions, we granted a champion of ours a blessing, giving them fearsome magical prowess." He scanned the assembly. "And now, with all remaining Basilisk as a witness, I've decided that you will receive the Blessing of Ice Darkness Basilisk, and the title of the First Basilisk Guardian."

Alderic opened his mouth to reply but couldn't find the words. He glanced back at his team and Mobia.

Fenris, Kadir, and Amelia all seemed equally shocked by the turn of events.

Mobia closed his eyes. "As your father intended."

"My father?" Alderic repeated, his gaze returning to the Basilisk King.

"Yes," Apep replied. "Years ago Petrov was offered the same honor. He defended us from a man named James Vandal."

Alderic gritted his teeth at the familiar name. "He defended you from him? Is that why he attacked my village?"

Apep's right eye widened, he clearly knew nothing about what happened to his home. "I suppose that's a possibility. If that is the case, I apologize."

Alderic took a deep breath. "You had no way of knowing."

"If Petrov truly is dead, it is my honor to fulfill his request," Apep continued after a moment's silence. "We desired for him to be our First Guardian, but he refused our offer, instead wishing that both the title and blessing would be passed to his son; Alderic Notre Viktoriya."

All the basilisks closed their eyes and lowered their heads.

Alderic heard movement coming from behind him and turned around.

Mobia towered in front of him, mouth open wide. "Now, receive my blessing Guardian." He exhaled a frosty vapor that washed over the wizard.

Alderic's injuries receded. His skin absorbed the mists, and his nose inhaled it. He felt his magic return to him, stronger than ever. He relaxed, allowing his body to suck up the rest of it.

Mobia shut his mouth. "This new power of yours is great, be wary of those who would seek to possess it."

Alderic nodded. "I shall."

Apep opened his eyes. "One last thing."

"Geeze, how much are you giving him?" Kadir mumbled.

Apep nodded towards the assembly.

A smaller snake emerged, about as big as Amelia. On her head was an old black leather book. She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

Alderic took the manuscript from her, nodding his gratitude.  
"That is a spell book, so you may train yourself in your new power," Apep explained. He gazed up towards the exit. "Now I fear our time together must now end, we must seal the current entrance and replace it before more hunters arrive. Mobia will see you out."

Alderic nodded. "Thank you." He closed his eyes keeping a flood of emotions at bay. When he embarked on his quest, he never imagined he'd get to learn more about his father. A small smile worked its way onto his lips.

"No, thank you," Apep replied.

Alderic and his team climbed back aboard Mobia, allowing him to take them back to the surface. As they hopped off, Alderic paused, glancing back at the snake.

"It's been an honor Guardian," Mobia said. "I regret your stay had to be so brief."

Alderic folded his arms, "I suppose that's the way it has to be."

"Perhaps," Mobia replied. Something resembling a sigh escaped his mouth. "I know it's unlikely, but I hope we can meet again someday Alderic."

"As do I," Alderic answered.

Mobia closed his eyes and began to coil back down the long pillar. "Farewell Alderic Notre Viktoriya."

Outside…

"I still can't believe we didn't get a blessing! We defended those things too!" Kadir complained. He glared back at the cavern.

Amelia sighed. "Calm down; we only came along to support Alderic." She frowned. "Even if it's totally unfair."

Fenris slapped the two on their backs. "If you want to take it up with them go right ahead. I'm sure they'd love to hear it," he joked.

Alderic strolled out of the cave. He tried not to show it but for the first time since he joined Demon Fang, he felt as happy as he was before the Council destroyed his home. He tucked the spell book under his arm.

A sudden rumble drew all of their attention. The cavern entrance collapsed behind them, blocking the entrance off with a pile of rubble.

"Guess there's no going back," Fenris mused. He shook his head. "Why such powerful creatures would hideout instead of fighting is a mystery to me."

Alderic stared at the rock pile, slowly turning away from it and resuming his previous pace. "Let's get to Abbadon, collect our reward."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Kadir grumbled.

Alderic held the spell book up in front of him. He could feel his new power swelling inside of him. He'd master this new ability of his, and when he did the Council would feel his wrath.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

Marcus walked over to the bar where Luna sat, setting a blueberry cheesecake in front of her. "Here you go." He'd gotten used to getting her one pretty much every day; it was like her drug.

"Thanks," Luna said sourly. She grabbed her knife and began to cut a slice of it. She stopped and gave him a look that he easily interpreted as meaning 'Get the heck away from me or else.'

Marcus held up his hands, backing away from her.

Satisfied, Luna took her first bite of cake. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and her eyes were like little stars. She set her left hand on her cheek as she chewed.

Marcus stared at her intently, no matter how many times he saw it, he was never really convinced that it was real. More like some weird daydream.  
The majority of the Guild stopped their current activities to watch; it was like a daily show that no one dared mention to Luna after she finished eating.

Kyouko walked in the Guild, a bright grin on her face. "Hey everyone!" She held a small ragdoll kitten in her arms.

Silver glanced at the feline. "Is that a cat?"

"Technically it's a kitten," Kyouko answered.

Luna lazily glanced over her shoulder, the moment she caught sight of the animal her emerald eyes widened.

"Where did you even get it?" Silver asked.

"Her," Kyouko corrected.

Silver sighed. "Okay, where did you find her?"

Kyouko grinned, her tail swaying happily. "She was wandering around the girls dormitory all by herself."

Marcus leaned against the bar. "How did she even get inside?"

Kyo shrugged. "I don't know."

Luna set down her fork and hopped to her feet. She hurried over to them, clearing her throat. "Someone probably left a window open."

Kyouko nodded. "Yeah, probably."

Luna held out her hand. "In any case, I can take her off your hands for you." She averted her gaze. "I mean if there's no other option."

Marcus frowned at her suspiciously.

Kyouko shook her head. "You don't need to do that."

Luna moved suddenly, snatching the feline from the girl's arms before she could say anything else. "Oh believe me it's no bother," she said quickly, all but running for the exit. She stopped short of leaving. "I mean not much of a bother." She slipped outside, the door slammed shut behind her.

Everyone in earshot stared at the door. "That was odd, even for Luna," Silver commented.

Kyouko's ears flattened. "Was she worried that I couldn't handle it?"

Marius stepped out of his office, his expression deathly serious. "Attention everyone!"

The Guild turned their attention over to him.

Marius crossed his arms. "Julie just gave me a call, Raik and Morrigan were seriously injured on their mission, by Demon Fang."

"What?" Silver asked.

"How did they know they'd be there?" Marcus asked.

Marius sighed. "I don't know. Ayame's on their way to escort them back." He crossed his arms. "I want everyone to be careful from now on until we figure out how to stop Demon Fang."

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

"According to reports, Alderic has succeeded in his mission," Matsudo said, folding his hands behind him. "He's received the blessing and bested a team from Angel Wing."

Dragon continued staring out his window. It was all as he expected. "Very good. His power will be a valuable asset in the coming campaign."

Matsudo strolled towards the exit but didn't go through it.

Dragon let out a long sigh. "Do you have something to add?"

Matsudo smirked. "Was hardly nice of you to put out the job request to have the monster killed. Why you could've gotten the team in a lot of trouble," he said with fake horror.

Dragon sneered. "If he failed to defeat Angel Wing, he'd have no place in this Guild." He waved his arm. "Now, unless you have anything else to add, be gone."

Matsudo nodded. "Of course, Master Dragon."

 **Next Arc: Silent Fist**


	21. Silent Fist: Routine job gone wrong

**Hello again everyone. Thank you for reviewing and following the story. I apologize for the long wait, I had some serious writers block and ended up rewriting this chapter about three times.**

 **In any case, today I'm starting Kyouko Naru's character arc. Hope you all enjoy.  
Other characters...  
From Angel Wing: Marcus, Kayden, Sam, Himura, Aikasa, Silver  
From Demon Fang: Akita and Alderic**

May 9 X784

Master Tahara sat down on a leather chair, cocking an eyebrow at his two visitors. "Emissary's from Demon Fang huh? Didn't I tell your last team to take a hike?"  
Alderic adjusted his fedora. "We were hoping you'd reconsider our previous offer." He dressed in his combat attire; a black coat with a golden lining, white pants, black boots and his black fedora.  
Akita sat on the other side of the couch, drumming her fingers against her thigh impatiently. "And if not, I'll convince you," she said, a fake smile painted on her face. She also wore her combat outfit; a light blue full body battle suit with a pair of black thigh high heels, and some black wrist protectors. She also had a black choker around her neck. Her guild mark was in purple, just above her impressive cleavage.  
The two sat in the lounge of an old mansion, which had recently become the home of a new Dark Guild named Golden Chimera. Two dozen Guild members lurked around the room, keeping their distance from the duo.  
A golden chandelier hung overhead, lighting up the room. Several sets of furniture sat around an unlit fireplace. On a balcony overhead, a pair of distinct men watched them, no doubt ordered to keep an eye on them.  
Master Tahara laughed heartily. "You're persistent I'll give you that." He leaned forward and smirked. "Why the heck would I agree to ally with a Guild of upstarts who think they can usurp the Barom Alliance."  
Akita casually reached for her whip.  
Alderic smacked her hand away before she could grab it.  
Akita glared at him. "Do you want results or not?" she hissed.  
Alderic ignored her and cleared his throat. "Demon Fang's already become the strongest Dark Guild in eastern Fiore, and our alliance grows in number daily. It's only a matter of time before we rival the likes of the Oracion Seis."  
Tahara smirked. "Right, and what about Crimson Sphinx and Devil's Advocate? Heard you lost both of them to the newbies in Draycott."  
Alderic narrowed his eyes. "Minor setbacks," he said bluntly. "If you join us now, Golden Chimera will become rich, famous, and powerful in the underworld."  
"And if I refuse?" Tahara asked calmly.  
Alderic nodded at the woman to his left. "I turn the negotiation over to my associate."  
Akita grinned at him, grabbing her hand around her whips handle. "And I can be _very_ persuasive."  
Tahara sized the two up, his gaze lingering on Akita's chest longer than it should've. He cracked a smile. "Afraid I'll have to decline. Between Vandal, Angel Wing, and the Barom Alliance, joining you would be a suicide run."  
Alderic leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. "He's all yours."  
Akita hopped to feet, taking out her whip. "Finally!"

Elsewhere…

"Kyo! Wake up!"  
Kyouko Naru moaned sleepily, forcing her eyes open. She sat up and rubbed her right eye, her ears standing up straight.  
Kayden stood at the entrance to her tent, clad in her combat outfit. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "Come on already! Let's go! We've been waiting around here for hours!" she exclaimed.  
Kyouko blinked at her, taking a second to wake fully. As soon as she did, she directed a harsh scowl at her.  
Kayden retreated a step and cleared her throat. Seeing the half-feline angry was a rare sight, one that was scary enough to make anyone a little nervous. "I mean, we can wait a few more minutes, it's just that…"  
Kyouko's scowl intensified and her tail stood up straight.  
"Look, just, please hurry," Kayden said quickly, before turning tail and running away from her tent.  
Kyouko stood up, letting out a long yawn and stretching her arms. Why did she take a job that required her to get up so early in the morning? She put on her regular outfit, with a pair of black fingerless gloves for combat purposes, and stepped outside.  
The boys tent stood fifteen yards away from hers, pitched in the middle of a dense forest. She and her team had taken a quest to find and destroy a group of bandits that'd been causing trouble for merchants traveling to Draycott. So far they'd searched for an entire day, but found no sign of anything unusual.  
Kyouko trudged over to the others, yawning again.  
Sam stood in front of the team, standing on top of a tree stump. He held a blank piece of paper out in front of him. "Now, keep your eye on the paper…" He crumpled it into a ball.  
Himura smiled as she approached the group. "Good morning." She was dressed in a tight fitting black shirt and gray leggings. She also wore her combat boots and ribbon as well.  
Kyouko managed to return the smile halfheartedly. "Morning."  
Aikasa grunted in response.  
"Not morning people?" Marcus asked. He'd put on his second combat outfit; a white trench coat with an ice blue stripe down both sides of it, accompanied by his black combats and boots.  
Aikasa leered at him.  
Sam engulfed his hand in golden flames and tossed the paper up, blasting it with fire as soon as it started to fall again. Which, of course, reduced it to ash.  
Kayden stared at him quizzically. "Just out of curiosity, what was _supposed_ to happen?"  
Sam reached back and scratched the back of his head. "I was kind of hoping it wouldn't burn."  
Silver glanced up from his book for the first time since their conversation began. "You hit a shred of paper with fire and hoped it wouldn't burn?" He was wearing a white shirt with a blue jacket unzipped and black leather pants. He still wore his blue scarf and had yellow sneakers.  
"Hindsight's always twenty-twenty," Sam replied. He hopped off of the stump.  
Marcus reached into his coat pocket. "Just be glad he didn't try that with our map." He pulled out a strip of paper and unfolded it. Their client had given it to them to help them find their target.  
Kyouko's exhaustion started to fade. "Where do we go next?"  
"According to the map, they should be right this way," Marcus said, walking into a cluster of trees. The rest of the team followed after him.  
Sam hung back behind everyone. He stared ahead of him absentmindedly.  
Kyouko noticed and slowed her speed until she was walking next to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, cocking her head. "You know it was a good trick with some work I'm sure you can-"  
"It's not that," Sam interrupted. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "There's something I've been thinking about lately."  
Kyouko leaned a little closer. "And what's that?" she probed.  
Sam eyed her suspiciously. He distanced himself by a step. "It's nothing."  
Kyouko's ears flattened and a sad look spread across her face. "Why won't you tell me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, pouting at him.  
Sam averted his gaze to prevent his resolve from weakening. "Don't take it personally. I just haven't been a part of Angel Wing for long and-"  
"You don't trust me?" Kyo whimpered.  
Sam's eye twitched, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out.  
"Um, Marcus?" Aikasa asked. She came to a stop in front of a large rock wall. "Why did you lead us back to our camping sight?"  
Marcus stared at the map, attempting to retrace their steps. "I, have no idea."  
Kayden narrowed her eyes. "Are you kidding me!?"  
Silver closed his book and slipped it into his pack. "How'd that happen?"  
"You try finding your way around out here," Marcus retorted. He waved his hand at all the hundreds of trees, most of which looked almost entirely the same. "It's impossible."  
Kyouko peered over his shoulder to get a good look at the map. "I don't get it, I mean we were walking in the same direction the entire time, how did we end up back here?"  
"And where's Hime?" Kayden suddenly asked.  
Everyone paused and started to look around, but the Celestial Wizard was nowhere in sight. Aikasa cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hime!" she called.  
Marcus took a deep breath, picking up the scent of exotic perfume. "I can still smell her. She's close." He turned back to the team. "I think we should-"  
"Hold on," Silver interrupted. He narrowed his eyes. "Kay's gone."  
Kyouko's gaze darted around, sure enough, Kayden had also disappeared. She took a few steps away from the forest. "That doesn't make sense, where could she have gone." She received no reply. "Guys?"  
She spun around to find that she was now alone. The hairs on her tail all stood up straight. "Where did you go?" She felt her heart rate begin to speed up. She took a deep breath. _"Okay, stay calm, stay, calm."_  
She closed her eyes and cocked her ear. A soft breeze brushed by her, with it came the rustling of the leaves. Beneath the noise, she picked up the distinct sound of muffled footsteps coming from right behind her.  
Kyouko whirled around and drew back her arm. "There you are!"  
A man dressed in jungle camouflage stood beneath her, wearing a mask that covered everything except his eyes. He blinked at her. "How did you-"  
"Give me back my friends!" Kyouko yelled. She slammed her palm into his gut. "Sound Palm!" She transmitted a powerful sound from her hand to her opponent, sending him flying.  
His eyes bugged out in surprise. He hit the tree and slumped down into sitting position.  
Kyouko ran over to him and grabbed his collar. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you? And where did you take my team!"  
The man's eyes displayed fear for a moment. He glanced at something over her shoulder and relaxed.  
Kyouko frowned in confusion. The wind picked up again, this time even more fierce than before. She closed her eyes and listened, again hearing the sound of muffled footsteps. She spun toward the sound and took a deep breath.  
Three more men all dressed similarly to the first all faced her, showing surprise that she even managed to detect them.  
"Scream from Hell!" Kyouko released her breath, causing a high pitched screech to emit from her mouth.  
All three of her targets cried in agony before each falling to the ground, one after the other.  
Kyo swung back around and glared at the man pinned to the tree. They were sneaky ones she had to give them that. It explained how they managed to get the jump on everyone. She put on her most intimidating face. "I'm not going to ask again," she growled. Unfortunately for her, she came across as cute rather than threatening.  
The man smirked beneath his mask, before breaking down into laughter.  
Kyouko's ears flattened. Curse her adorableness! "This isn't a joke!"  
"It might as well be," the man said, trying to stifle his laughter.  
Kyouko opened her mouth to retaliate when something crashed into her jaw, sending her sprawling onto the ground. She rolled onto her back and sat up.  
A fifth man appeared. He wore the same outfit but also had a pair of brass knuckles on his hands. He sneered. "Sloppy work boys, the boss won't be pleased."  
"The boss doesn't need to find out," the first one retorted. He grabbed the others arm and used it to pull himself up.  
Kyo caressed her sore jaw. This was going to be harder than she thought…  
The two men started to draw near. "Be a good kitty now," one said, chuckling at his joke.  
Kyouko sighed. "Never heard that one before," she muttered sarcastically. She stood up and readied herself for battle.  
Suddenly, another man sprang out of the bushes. Unlike the others, he was wearing the uniform of a military sergeant and carried a standard issue spear in his hand. He took both thugs down with a single thrust.  
Kyouko relaxed for a second. "Thank goodness. I need your help, my friends and I were walking here when-"  
All of the sudden, the terrain around her seemed to transform. Trees appeared where there hadn't been any before while others vanished into thin air. The grass and trees that remained all looked different as well.  
Kyouko furrowed her eyebrows. "What's happening? This isn't where we were standing a second ago."  
"An illusion spell," the sergeant answered. His voice was unmistakably familiar. "You and your friends were placed under it the second you set foot in these woods. That's why it must've seemed like you were walking in circles. They didn't want you to find their hideout."  
Kyouko stared at him, fear gripping her. She retreated a step. Memories flooded back to her all at once. She subconsciously set a hand on her cheek.  
The man turned to face her. Like her, he had brown hair. He also had a thin beard that clang to his chin and light skin. He returned the stare, his green eyes widening slightly at the sight of her. "Kyo," he whispered.  
Kyouko hardened her resolve, her gaze turning icy cold. "Hello Father."

At Golden Chimera Guildhall…

The entire room lay in ruin; the chandelier crashed down on top of a coffee table, and the furniture itself had either been knocked over or destroyed altogether.  
Master Tahara let out a pathetic groan, his eyes open wide. His shirt had been reduced to tattered scraps of fabric, and his back was covered in lash marks. "How, the heck did." He broke down into coughing. A half dozen of his men were all in similar condition.  
Alderic calmly observed the situation, still sitting on the couch as he had throughout the entire battle. "That took longer than expected."  
Akita knelt down next to Tahara and wrapped her whip around his neck. "You can't rush a perfect punishment." She stood up, using her weapon to yank her victim's head up. She planted her heeled foot on his back.  
"You, you'll pay for this!" Tahara croaked. He managed to raise his limp arm for a second, but it quickly fell.  
Alderic rose to his feet and strode towards him. The remaining members of Golden Chimera dared not stand in his way. He lowered himself, so he was at eye-level with Tahara. "Have you reconsidered our offer? If not, your fate is in her hands."  
Akita gave her whip another yank for emphasis.  
Tahara grimaced but quickly refocused. He narrowed his eyes. "Screw off."  
Alderic sighed. "Very well." He stood up and turned to the remaining wizards of Golden Chimera. "Which of you is the strongest?"  
For a minute nobody moved, until a large man took a cautious step forward. He cleared his throat. "I am."  
Alderic sized him up. "What's your name?"  
"Kato," the man answered.  
Alderic nodded back at Akita. "Congratulations Kato, you're the new master of Golden Chimera."  
Akita grinned and pulled on her whip until a sickening crack sounded throughout the room. She untangled her whip from Tahara's neck and backed off, letting his lifeless body fall limp at her feet.  
Kato shuddered at the sight.  
Alderic narrowed his eyes. "I hope you'll be more cooperative than your predecessor." He walked past him and over to the doorway.  
"Yes, sir," Kato stuttered.  
Akita set her hands on her hips and bat her eyelashes at him. "If not, I'd be more than happy to provide you with some, _discipline_."  
Kato swallowed hard.  
"Akita, let's go," Alderic instructed, his hand on the doorknob.  
Akita pouted. "Oh, fine." She reluctantly tread after him. "And right when I was having fun too." The two stepped out the door.  
To their surprise, they were greeted by the sight of Matsudo. He stared up at the Guildhall in mock terror. "Oh my, you've certainly made a mess, haven't you?" he asked.  
Alderic came to an abrupt halt. "What are you doing here?"  
Akita lingered behind him, chewing on her hair absentmindedly. If it didn't involve whipping, beating, or any other form of punishment, she wasn't interested.  
Matsudo straightened his tie. "First things first, how did the negotiation go?"  
Alderic glanced back at the mansion uncertainly. "I'm not sure you could call what we did 'negotiation,' but we secured their allegiance."  
Matsudo nodded. "Very nice. We can't have rogue Guilds wandering around our territory now, can we?" He folded his hands behind him. "As for why I'm here, you've just been assigned a new mission."  
"Another one?" Alderic asked. While he didn't mind going on jobs, but everyone was being sent on a lot more of them since the beginning of the month.  
Matsudo paused. "Yes, something rather unexpected has come up." He looked them dead in the eye. "An upstart bandits Guild named Silent Fist has contacted us. They say they've captured a team from Angel Wing."  
Akita stopped chewing and glanced at him.  
"They want to trade their captives for a high position in the Demon Fang Alliance," Matsudo explained. He pointed at them. "Master Dragon has ordered you to see how genuine this deal is. If they actually are holding high ranking Angels. They could be an asset."  
Alderic crossed his arms. "I understand. We'll take care of it."

At the Silent Fist Hideout…

Silver forced his eyes open. His head pounded like a base drum. "What happened?" he murmured, blinking a few times to clear his vision. He found himself staring up at a massive oak tree, around which there were piles of gold and jewels guarded by dozens of men all dressed the same. He tried to move his wrists but found they'd been tied together behind him.  
"Welcome back," Kayden muttered.  
Silver turned his head to the right to see almost every member of the team lined up in similar fashion; all tied up in one way or another. "How did we get here?"  
"Wish I knew," Sam grumbled. He looked back, seeing a dozen men standing behind the group, preventing them from running. "Something hit me, and I woke up here."  
"How did they get the jump on us like that?" Marcus wondered aloud. He gritted his teeth. "I should've smelled them coming from a mile off!"  
Hime sighed. "No sense beating yourself up about it now."  
"She's right," Aikasa agreed. She narrowed her eyes. "We should focus on getting ourselves out of here."  
A distinct looking man emerged from the crowd, dressed in jungle camo pants with a black sleeveless shirt. He had black hair that was starting to gray that covered his head and chin. "Welcome Angel Wing, it's a pleasure."  
"Who are you?" Silver asked.  
The man set a heavily tattooed hand on his chest. "My name is Tiberius; I'm master of Silent Fist."  
Sam attempted to pull his hands-free. "I'm going to fry you like a piece of bacon when I get myself loose!"  
Tiberius smirked at him. "Don't bother trying magic." He held out his tattooed arm. "I've already absorbed every drop of it you had in your bodies. It'll be a while before you can cast even the simplest spell."  
"We don't need our magic to beat low-class thugs like you!" Marcus snapped. He struggled to free his hands.  
Tiberius sat down on an old tree stump. "Low class?" He chuckled. "Could a bunch of thug's place mage's under an illusion spell without them knowing. Could they have abducted them all before they could even knew who was targeting them?"  
Another man sauntered over to his side. He had long brown hair that he kept tied back into a rather stupid looking mullet. He wore black pants with a camo jacket that he left unbuttoned. A tattoo of a clenched fist was on his chest in black. "C'mon boss, no need to taunt the captives."  
Tiberius folded his hands in front of him. "Yes, you're right. We still need to prepare for our guests from Demon Fang."  
"Crap," Silver whispered.  
"Josiah," Tiberius said to the other man. "I was told there were seven prisoners yet I see six? Where's the last one?"  
Josiah furrowed his eyebrows. "They should all be here." He did a quick headcount, finding that his boss was right. "What happened to Mason's team?"  
The masked man all exchanged looks. "He was still out there when we left," one reported.  
Tiberius narrowed his eyes. "Moronic fools." He rose to his feet. "If they're not here that means they've been defeated you idiots! Never send out a team without any backup!"  
Silver stifled a grin. If Kyouko was free she could contact Captain Vandal or Master Marius and rescue them.  
Silent Fist's men distanced themselves from their master. "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again," an officer said.  
"It better not," Tiberius growled. He turned his back on the group. "Lock them away! And send another team to find the straggler! I have guests to prepare for."  
Josiah held out his hand, a toothy grin spreading across his face. Strings extended from his fingertips and dangled in front of him. "Right away boss."


	22. Silent Fist: Kyouko and Kion

**Hello everyone, thank you for the reviews. I apologize again for the delay, my computer broke down.**

 **This chapter I'll be finishing up Kyouko Naru's character arc. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.  
**

May 9 X784

Kyouko took a step away from her father; Kion Naru. Memories flashed in her mind unwarranted; her cheek almost felt like it stung again.  
Kion strapped his spear onto his back. He stared at her with widened eyes, almost afraid she'd vanish at a moment's notice. He took a careful step forward. "It's, good to see you again."  
"Save it," Kyouko said harshly.  
Kion blinked, taken off guard by her response. "Kyo I-"  
"You struck me!" Kyouko flinched at the memory. Her eyes brimmed with tears.  
Kion's expression softened. He was about to speak when a look of alarm suddenly appeared on his face. He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her away from the clearing.  
"Let go of me!" Kyouko protested, stumbling along after him.  
"We don't have time for this!" Kion insisted. He picked up the pace. "We have to leave this forest, and fast."  
"Leave?" Kyouko said. She dug her heel into the ground, bringing them to a stop. She yanked her arm free. "I can't go, not until I rescue my friends."  
Kion scanned their surroundings frantically. "Dang it Kyo! This is no time to be stubborn! You have no idea what you're even up against!"  
Kyouko crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, again looking far more adorable than she did intimidating. "Then tell me," she said crossly.  
Kion stared her down for a second, eventually exhaling in exasperation. "Fine, but we need to find a safer place to talk. Another team's probably already on their way." He turned around. "Let's go." He started to walk, gesturing for her to follow.  
Kyo was about to follow but hesitated.  
Kion looked back at her. "Please, you have to trust me."  
Kyouko breathed in. "Fine, just this once." She took a step after him.

At the Silent Fist Hideout…

Alderic entered the encampment, a pair of Silent Fist members leading the way. He did a quick scan of the area. Considerable piles of loot had been gathered around a large oak tree. Impressive, for a Bandits Guild.  
Akita lazily dragged herself after him. "Why did I have to come? There's no one to punish, discipline or even reprimand," she whined.  
Alderic glanced at her out the corner of his eye. "Is there even a different between the three?"  
"Nothing that a simpleton like you would understand. At least, not until you've experienced all three," Akita said, winking at him.  
Alderic refrained from replying. He noticed a pair of men standing at the base of the tree, wearing different uniforms than the rest, deducing them to be the leaders; Tiberius and Josiah. He drew closer to them, overhearing a few words of their conversation.  
"This is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into, eh master?" Josiah asked jovially. He leaned against the tree and chuckled. "Been searching an hour, and she's nowhere in sight."  
Tiberius scowled at him. "You're quite cheerful, considering this could blow our entire negotiation."  
Josiah folded his arms behind his head. "What can I say? I love me some suspense."  
Tiberius set a hand on his chin, pondering their situation. "Perhaps, there is still a way we can benefit from this situation." He noticed the two approaching and rotated himself to face them, arching his right eyebrow. "Demon Fang, you're quick to respond."  
Akita yawned, allowing her shoulders to slump in boredom. "You got the Angels locked up here or what?"  
Tiberius frowned at her. "Of course, we do." He paused for a moment, before suddenly grinning. "And to rid you of any doubts, we've let one of our prisoners run free, so we can demonstrate our stealth and tracking prowess by recapturing her."  
Josiah glanced at him quizzically.  
Akita rolled her eyes. "What a load of-"  
"We look forward to it," Alderic interrupted.  
"Good." Tiberius nodded at his companion. "Josiah, organize our elite teams, I want them ready to sweep the forest within an hour. And set up the recording Lacrima in the main room. I want that straggler caught within the hour."  
Josiah performed an overdramatic salute. "Yes sir." He sauntered over to the other men, shouting orders as he went.  
Tiberius turned towards the Demon Fang emissaries. "Follow me, I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to begin our negotiations." He walked off in the direction of a nearby cluster of trees.  
Before Alderic could start to follow his companion grabbed his elbow and yanked him back. He frowned at her quizzically.  
Akita stared at him, doing little to stifle her anger. "You must know they didn't actually release a prisoner for some stupid demonstration, right?"  
"Of course, I doubt they ever had her in captivity to start," Alderic responded. "But if they can prove themselves, we can overlook their little lie."  
Akita huffed.  
Alderic started walking after Tiberius. "Why don't you go and entertain the other Angels? I'll handle the diplomacy."  
Akita's face lit up like a Christmas tree. She reached down for her whip. "Now that's a decision I can get behind."

Elsewhere…

Kion ducked down behind a large rock, his face lined with anxiety. "We should be safe here, for now. But we can't stay long." He allowed himself to relax. "Despite the circumstance, it's good to see you again."  
Kyouko sat against a fallen tree about a yard away from him. He'd let them to an even thicker area in the forest where there was plenty of room to hide. She huffed at her father's words. "Wish I could say the same."  
Kion set a hand on his heart. "Kyo, I swear, I'm sorry that I hurt you."  
"You didn't just hit me," Kyouko growled. Anger bubbled up inside of her. "Ever since mom died you ignored me, for nearly a year! And when I tried to get close, that's when you struck me."  
Kion's gaze fell to the ground. "Listen, I-"  
"Save it," Kyouko said. She took a deep breath. "Just, tell me who those people were."  
Kion let out a sigh, before nodding. "Of course." He cleared his throat. "The men who captured your friends are a part of the Bandit Guild you were sent after; their name is Silent Fist. Until recently they were led by some dumb thug named Josiah the Puppeteer. But he was usurped, by my captain."  
Kyouko cocked her head. "Why would a military leader join a Bandit Guild?"  
Kion closed his eyes. "I wish I knew. All I know is that Captain Tiberius transformed them, gave them military training, tactics, and above all, stealth. My entire unit was abducted one at a time; we never stood a chance."  
Kyouko narrowed her eyes. "You're going to leave all of your men?"  
"I don't have a choice," Kion insisted, his tone harsh. "If an Army squad and team of wizards didn't stand a chance, we aren't going to either. Our only hope is to sneak out of here before they notice us."  
Kyouko hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. "What are they after anyways? Why did they kidnap my friends?"  
Kion hesitated for a moment. "We, have good reason to believe that they're attempting to buy their way into the Demon Fang Alliance by offering them their captives."  
Kyouko's eyes widened. She slowly rose to her feet and clenched her fists.  
Kion glanced up at her worriedly. "Kyo, I know what you're thinking. You can't go back there!" He also stood up, towering a good two feet over her. "Once we get out we'll contact the Rune Knight's; from there they can rescue your friends."  
"By the time they show up it might be too late," Kyouko retorted.  
"You don't know that."  
"Neither do you." Kyouko turned her back to him. She held out her hand, summoning her sword to it. She strapped it onto her back and stared out at the forest with a determined gleam in her eye.  
Kion also stood up, standing a good foot taller than her. He reached out and grabbed her by the elbow. "I'm not going to let you do this."  
Kyouko jerked her arm free and whirled around, this time directing her stare at him instead. "I'm not leaving my friends."  
Kion shook his head. "You're being ridiculous. If Silent Fist doesn't get you then Demon Fang sure as heck will. You don't stand a chance."  
"Then help me," Kyouko shot back. She took a couple of steps away from him. "Do you know where their Hideout is?"

Kion nodded. "Yes, we found it right before Silent Fist came down on us. But it's crawling with bandits!"

"That's why I'm going to lure them away," Kyouko replied.

"What?"

"If I cause enough of a stir, they'll come after me, leaving their camp vulnerable to attack," Kyouko explained, her enthusiasm starting to grow. "From there you can sneak inside and free my friends!"

Kion scoffed. "That's suicide! You can't take on an entire army of bandits. Who are these people to you anyways?"

Kyouko glared at him. "Who are they? They're the first ones that accepted me after _you_ drove me away!" she snapped at him. "I'm not going to desert them because I'm scared."

Kion's expression softened. "I understand. I'll help you."

Kyouko calmed down. "Thank you. Just tell me which way their Hideout is."

Kion pointed off to the northeast. "It's that way, watch out for bandits and, be careful of Tiberius. He has a special kind of magic known as Devil Fist. It allows him to absorb and wield magic elements from other wizards. He most likely has the power of all of your friends by now."

Kyouko bit her lip, that was going to suck. "I understand." She started to walk off towards the northeast.

"And Kyo," Kion said. He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry."

Kyouko paused for a moment. "I know." She resumed her previous pace, moving with purpose in the direction of the Bandits Guild.

At the Silent Fist Hideout…

Alderic followed Tiberius inside to an old shack hidden behind a close group of trees. Inside was a bright room, filled with old furniture. At the center of the room was a pedestal with an observation Lacrima sitting on top of it.  
He took a seat on one of the cushioned chairs. He took a moment to watch Silent Fist's members out the window. They all moved in an organized fashion, reminiscent of military drills. "You're awfully orderly for bandits."  
Tiberius chuckled proudly. He took a seat on the couch, resting his elbow on the back of it. "I may not be in the Army anymore, but my service taught me many valuable lessons. Ones I won't soon be forgetting."  
Alderic's gaze returned to him. "What prompted you to change sides?"  
Tiberius closed his eyes and smirked. "I got tired of risking my life just for a crappy paycheck. Decided it was time for a change in occupation."  
A Silent Fist lackey stepped inside carrying a pitcher of expensive wine. He poured a glass and handed it to his master. He turned to the Demon Fang emissary and cocked an eyebrow.  
Alderic shook his head. "Why join Demon Fang? You seem to be making it on your own."  
Tiberius took a sip of his drink. "You guys are all the talk around here. Word has it you're plotting something big. I want in."  
Alderic's expression remained unchanging. "And what can you offer Demon Fang?"  
Tiberius downed the rest of his glass and grinned. "Why don't I show you." He nodded at the observation Lacrima. "Take a look."  
Alderic stood up and approached the green crystal, which displayed an image of a Silent Fist detachment on the prowl deeper in the woods.  
"Like I said, we let one of the Angels go; now we'll show you our skills in hunting. She'll run away scared, just to be abducted again," Tiberius explained. He closed his eyes and lounged back.  
Alderic continued watching the display. Eventually, Kyouko came into view. He lifted an eyebrow. "She hardly looks like she's running."  
Tiberius opened his eyes. "What?" He leaned forward and squinted at the Lacrima.  
Kyouko calmly strolled through the forest, a sword strapped to her back and a determined expression on her face.  
Tiberius relaxed and let out a short laugh. "Worked up a little courage I see." He grabbed the wine pitcher and refilled his glass. "This saves us the trouble of chasing her down."  
Alderic folded his hands behind him. True, the girl didn't look very intimidating. But there was something about her fearlessness that made him a little uneasy.

Elsewhere…

Kyouko moved with purpose in the direction of the Silent Fist Hideout. Occasionally the sound of a muffled footstep reached her ears coming from every direction. They were about to make their move.  
She took a deep breath as adrenaline began to spread through her body. "Okay, you just got to keep them busy," she whispered to herself. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword and listened for the sound of movement.  
The slightest rustle came from the bush directly in front of her. She immediately leaped forward, the tip of her sword leading the way.  
The bandit's eyes widened as the blade hit him in the chest. He collapsed without a sound. As soon as he hit the ground, another man rose out of a nearby bush, armed with a bow and arrow. He fired a shaft right at her neck.  
Kyouko hopped over the body, batting the projectile aside with the flat of her sword. "You're not going to stop me that easily."  
Two other bowmen stood up next to the first, one on his left the other on his right. All three took aim and launched a second round.  
Kyouko swatted two out of the air, but the third grazed her underarm. She breathed in and shouted. "Scream from Hell!" She let out a high pitched screech that blasted the eardrums of all three shooters.  
They all collapsed one after another.  
Kyouko exhaled, taking a couple of steps forward. "Okay, who's next?"  
Another dozen emerged from behind various trees, brandishing knives and swords.  
Kyouko tightened her hold on her sword. "No one said it'd be easy," she muttered to herself. She let out a yell and ran at the group, dispatching the closest in one blow. She took on the remaining eleven, using her sword and spells to take out seven of them.  
But each that fell was just replaced by more bandits. Soon her opponents doubled in overall number. She backed away, breathing heavily.  
Her amassed opponent's closed in on her, the last of the hidden joining them.  
Kyouko wiped the sweat from her brow. She suddenly had much more respect for Koan and Danghoul for defeating an army. She drove her sword into the ground, causing it to glow. She focused the soundwaves in the area into her weapon. Ten agonizing seconds ticked by, all the while her enemy drew closer.  
She yanked her sword out of the ground and swung in their direction, sending out a huge white blast of energy.

At the Silent Fist Hideout…

Alderic watched the spell send an entire column of bandits flying all over the place. "She's strong," he commented. The Lacrima in front of him went static, leaving them with the final image of Kyouko charging her remaining opponents.  
Tiberius tightened his hold on his cup. "Incompetent idiots. I told them not to underestimate her!" He shattered the glass with his bare hand.  
Alderic sat back down on his chair. "Perhaps a lower rank in Demon Fang will be more-"  
"No!" Tiberius rose to his feet, his face twisted with rage. "I may have given them army basic training, but they're still a pack of hotheaded bandits."  
"Precisely why we can't grant them a high rank," Alderic replied. "They can't be trusted with challenging assignments."  
Tiberius paced back and forth. "You mean like your own grunts? Heard you lost two hundred of them to a pair of wizards from Angel Wing," he said mockingly. "Not to mention what happened to Devil's Advocate and Crimson Sphinx."  
Alderic narrowed his eyes. "All the more reason for us to be cautious."  
Tiberius suddenly stopped, his anger dissipating. "Then forget Silent Fist, recruit me instead." He set a hand on his chest. "I can train all of your little minions and go on missions myself."  
Alderic paused. He wasn't expecting that offer. He sized the veteran up for a moment. True, he seemed to be strong, but looks could be deceiving. His gaze shifted over to the Lacrima. "The girl."  
"What about her?" Tiberius asked.  
"Take care of her, and we'll let you join, we have a deal?"  
Tiberius smirked, forming a fist. "Certainly."

At the Silent Fist prison…

.

The captive members of Angel Wing were imprisoned inside a small cave. The entrance of which had been sealed off by a set of bars made entirely of strings that resembled a spider web in appearance. Few guards lurked around outside, as almost every Fist in the camp had been sent out to capture Kyouko.

Kayden paced back and forth in front of the entrance. "There's got to be a way out of this stupid thing! Anyone got any ideas? Preferably one that isn't crap." She directed a sharp glare at Marcus during the last part of her statement

The Dragon Slayer crossed his arms defensively. "How was I supposed to know this stuff was magic resistant?"

"The fact that they untied us and talked confidently about how we'd never escape should've tipped you off," Sam chimed in.

Marcus sighed, everyone had been racking their brains, but so far no one managed to come up with a way to escape. He set a hand on his chin. "Maybe we're over thinking this."

"Or in your case. under think," Kayden shot back.

Marcus refrained from retorting. "Anyways, what if the solution to this is actually simple?"

Aikasa shrugged. "Like what? Cutting it?"

Silver shook his head. He studied the strands carefully. "If we could do that they'd have a lot more guards around." He set a hand on his chin. "Now that I think about it, I think I've read something about this kind of magic before."

Kayden perked up. "Really? Was it a spellbook?" She took a couple of steps closer to him and stared hopefully.

Silver cleared his throat, turning away from her. "Uh, no, it was a novel about pirates."

The team let out a collective groan. Himura walked over to one of the cave walls and set her hand against it. "Maybe we can smash our way out of here through here." She grinned at her idea.

Kayden thought about it for a second, before shaking her head. "No, that's stupid. We don't have nearly enough of our magic to break through all of that rock. Even if we did we'd be too exhausted to fight of Silent Fist."

Hime flinched at the 'stupid' remark. She stared at the offender for a moment, before bursting into tears.

Kayden's eyes widened. "Um, are you okay?"

Himura crossed her arms and turned away, letting out a loud huff. "Fine, if that is what you think of me! You can just-" She shifted back into her native language for the rest of her scathing rant.

Kayden stared at her; she had no idea what she just said, but she knew it was an insult! "What was that?!" She took a step forward, stamping her foot on the ground in front of her.

Silver distanced himself by a step. "Uh, oh," he murmured.

Aikasa watched the scene unfold from across the cramped cavern. She merely shook her head at the girls before returning her attention to thinking of an escape plan.

Marcus inched towards them. "Reel it in girls; we need to focus on-"

"It's not my fault you're a crybaby!" Kayden shouted, ignoring the Slayer entirely.

Hime whipped around and glared at her. "At least I came up with something! Instead of yelling at everyone else while I sat around on my fat butt and did nothing!"

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, that escalated quickly."

"Excuse me?!" Kayden snapped, balling her fists.

"You heard me!" Hime retorted.

Aikasa glanced outside and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, guys."

"First of all, I never sit!" Kayden said. She closed the distance between them by another step. "And it's better to come with no idea than something that won't work!"

"Guys," Aikasa repeated.

Hime stood on her tiptoes to match Kay's superior height. "How do you know an idea will not work when you refuse to try it?"

"Guys!" Aikasa yelled, finally getting their attention. She nodded at the entrance.

A military sergeant stood on the other side of the bars; the bandit guards laid unconscious around him. His eyes darted around anxiously. "You the wizards from Angel Wing?"

"Oh no, we're carnies," Sam said sarcastically.

The man smirked in spite of the situation. "Of course, right." He tightened his grip on his spear. "I'm here to get you out."

"Thanks but, who are you exactly?" Silver asked.

"My name is Kion Naru, I'm Kyouko's father," the sergeant answered.

The team stared at him in momentary shock. "Seriously?" they said in unison.

Kion shushed them. "Yes, seriously. We can talk about it later." He reached into his coat and pulled out a knife with the letter G engraved on the flat of it.

"You sure that thing can do the trick?" Kayden asked uncertainly.

Kion smirked proudly. "Of course, it will. This weapon was crafted by old Giovanni Florenca himself. These little threads don't stand a chance."

Himura fell silent. "That's, Diana's last name isn't it?" She glanced at the others in the hopes that one of them might have an answer.

"I think so," Marcus agreed.

Kion thrust his knife into the center of the web, cutting straight through it and causing the entire thing to crumble. "There, now we've got to hurry, Kyouko's going to need our help."

"She's okay?" Kayden asked in relief.

Kion nodded, concern etched on his face. "For now. But she's probably under attack. We got to hurry." He turned around and started to lead everyone out. "I took the guards down so it should be a straight shot to the-"

The rocks around them suddenly began to glow. Fifteen yards away Akita sauntered into the scene, a cocky smile on her face. "Explosion." She snapped her fingers, triggering the rocks to explode.

Silver grabbed the nearest wizard, in this case, Aikasa. "Electric Wings!" Two wings of lightning grew on his back, which he used to launch the two of them into the air above the explosion.

"Takeover! Mythic Soul, Blazing Phoenix!" Kayden transformed and followed shortly behind them. The three successfully avoided the spell by flowing overhead.

The rest of their team weren't as lucky and got caught up in it. When it cleared, they'd all sustained several minor burns.

Akita took out her whip and gave it a few cracks. She licked her lips as she sized them all up.

Josiah strutted along next to her; his arms stretched out horizontally and a toothy grin fixed on his face. "Leaving so soon?"

Sam rubbed his burned neck, zeroing in on the two he thrust his arm forward. "Azure Flames of Fury!" A fierce blast of fire shot out from his palm.

Josiah extended a finger. "Fire String!" A collection of burning threads poured out of his finger, absorbing the blue sparks as they came into contact.

Silver landed next to him, setting down Aikasa.

"Thanks," the Titan Slayer said. She cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to make mince meat out of these guys."

Kayden remained in the air, surrounding her arms in flames. "Not before I do."

Akita calmly raised her hand. "How cute. Disintegration Beam!" She fired a purple laser straight at the team.

"Pingbi!" Hime yelled, conjuring a transparent shield of stars. The beam collided with it head on, eventually letting up before it could break through.

Marcus narrowed his eyes at the two. He set his fist down on top of his palm. "Ice Make: Bazooka!" He molded his magic into a rocket launcher and fired an icy projectile at them. Halfway over it broke into a rain of icicles.

Akita clapped her hands together, her eyes turning white. "Shatter!" All at once the projectiles shattered like glass and showered the pair in flakes of ice. She strolled closer to them, smiling seductively at the Slayer. "Naughty boy."

Marcus began to prepare another spell but halted upon getting a good look at her. He studied her from her long gray hair to her yellow eyes, to the snake tattoo that extended from her left shoulder to her wrist. His eyes widened, he retreated a step. "You," he whispered.

Akita furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you grumbling about?" A moment of recognition flashed across her face.

"Marcus?" Silver asked quizzically.

The Slayer suddenly let out a loud shout and charged. "Ice Make: Twin Swords!"

Akita tightened her hold on her whip and lashed out at him, striking him in the wrist.

Marcus grimaced, accidentally dropping his left sword. He shrugged off the pain and increased his speed, letting out a loud yell as he came closer.

"Re-quip!" Akita summoned a golden sword to her free hand and parried at the last moment. She smirked at the Slayer. "Tsk tsk, so reckless; I'll have to punish you."

Marcus gritted his teeth and locked weapons with her. Once dormant rage boiled up from inside of him. "I'm going to kill you for what you've done," he growled.

Josiah casually glanced at the dueling mage's, before turning back to the others. "I guess that leaves the rest of you to me." He cackled.

"I think you'll find the odds to be a bit in our favor," Kayden said, pointing at the rest of her team with her thumb.

Josiah lifted his arm overhead. "Oh? Then let me even things out for you." Strings shot into the air from his fingertips, wrapping around every tree branch they touched. They spread out across the forest but strangely didn't do anything to them.

Sam took a careful look around but couldn't see anything wrong.

Over a dozen men emerged from the forest behind Josiah. The majority of which were dressed in military uniforms, only a few of them wore bandit garbs. As they moved, they shouted out protests and cried in confusion.

Josiah wiggled his fingers. "Now, behold! This is why they call me the Puppeteer!" As he moved his hand the soldiers moved with him. They all started to amble toward the small team, grabbing weapons or forming fists to fight.

"He is controlling them with his strings," Hime said. She formed a fist. "You disgusting coward!"

"Oh? And how am I any different from you Celestial Wizard?" Josiah retorted. "You summon your own little minions to help you out in a tight spot. By the way, you got a beautiful collection of Celestial Keys."

Himura took a step forward. "You have my keys?" She pointed at him. "Give them back to me now!"

Josiah moved the soldiers even further forward. "If you want your keys back, you'll have to take me down first!"

Elsewhere…

Kyouko trudged through the woods, dragging her sword behind her. A few other Fists had given her some trouble, but she'd made short work of them. Despite her victory's she'd sustained many smaller injuries all over her body. Her magic had also been half depleted.  
She came to a stop on the banks of a raging river. A tree had fallen over it, forming a makeshift bridge to the other side. She hopped on top of it and started to inch her way across.  
As soon as she reached the halfway mark, a man sprang out of the treetops and landed on top of the bridge, causing the whole thing to shake.  
"Ah!" Kyo exclaimed, struggling to keep her balance. She looked up at the culprit.  
He was a large man, dressed in a sleeveless shirt with camo pants. He had massive biceps and an arm covered in many colorful tattoos. "So, you're the little pipsqueak that's been taking down my men."  
Kyouko narrowed her eyes. "You're Captain Tiberius, aren't you?"  
The man stood up and laughed in an oddly friendly manner. "Yes, though I suppose it's former now."  
"What did you do to my friends?" Kyouko asked, lifting her sword in front of her.  
Tiberius gestured for her to lower her weapon. "No need for that. I have no intention of harming you or your friends."  
Kyouko sneered. "Then why did you kidnap them?"  
Tiberius sighed. "You talked to Kion didn't you? And let me guess, he told you that I betrayed the Army, is that right?"  
Kyouko lowered her sword by a few inches. "Yes," she said hesitantly.  
Tiberius folded his hands behind him. "He's wrong. I may have left the Army, but I never betrayed them." He locked eyes with her. "You see, I'm on a mission to dismantle the Demon Fang Alliance."  
Kyouko's furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"  
"I've seen the way things have been going; Demon Fang grows in power every day. If we don't stop them now, they'll become too strong for the Army or the Rune Knight's to take down. But without knowing where they are, we can't take them down," Tiberius explained. He clenched his fists. "So I decided to infiltrate their ranks."  
Kyouko studied his expression. If he was lying, he had to be the best actor she'd ever seen in her life.  
"This little Bandit Guild made the perfect candidate," Tiberius said proudly. His expression turned grave. "Listen, if my plan works, I can give the Council everything they need to destroy Demon Fang! Your Guild will never have to worry about them again!"  
Kyouko almost allowed herself to entertain the thought, but she shook it off. "And what about my friends? Why did you abduct them?"  
Tiberius hesitated. "I wasn't going to hurt them." He sighed. "But I can't speak for Demon Fang."  
Kyouko gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white. "You're going to let them die?"  
"A necessary sacrifice, one that they'll be honored for," Tiberius said, his gaze falling to the ground in front of him. "Sad, but unavoidable."  
Kyouko's blue eyes burned with intensity. "And what about your men? You going to leave them to die too!?"  
Tiberius closed his eyes. "As I said, a necessary sacrifice."  
Kyouko's expression darkened.  
"You may not agree with my methods, but we have the potential to save hundreds of lives. We have to let go of our friends and focus on the big picture," Tiberius continued. "Listen, if you fake your death and lay low I won't have to-"  
Kyouko let out a yell and charged at him.  
Tiberius stomped on the makeshift bridge, causing the whole thing to shake.  
Kyouko's foot slipped, she let out a brief yelp as she struggled to keep herself from plummeting into the flowing river.  
Tiberius opened his eyes and raised his hand. One of the tattoos on his arm; a blue dragon started to glow. "Come Oh fire of the Ninth Circle! Let their souls freeze in your eternal cold!" An icy blue flame engulfed his hand. "Infernal Ice Bolt!" He launched a fireball into her stomach.  
Kyouko fell on her back, grabbing onto the tree to stay on the bridge. A mixture of burning and freezing raging through her belly.  
"My Devil Fist has already absorbed the magic of all your friends," Tiberius said calmly. He held his arm overhead. This time, a tattoo of a multicolored flame lit up. "Appear dark sword of wrath!" Black fire oozed out of his hands, creating a sword.  
Kyouko jabbed the tip of her sword into the tree. "Fox Strike!" The spells collided in an explosion of white and black energy. Cracks appeared on the wooden ground beneath them. Both combatants stumbled away from each other.  
Kyouko recovered first and sprang forward, driving her hand into his knee. "Sound Palm!" She transmitted a blast of sound into his kneecap.  
Tiberius collapsed onto one knee, gritting his teeth to blot out the pain. Another tattoo lit up, this one of a Hydra. Crimson scales formed around his entire right arm.  
Kyouko swung her sword down on his wrist, but it merely bounced off his scaly hand with a loud clanging noise. She bit her inner lip, how many different types of magic could he use?"  
In addition to the Hydra, a tattoo depicting an angel also lit up. "Storms of purgatory come to my aid," Tiberius bellowed. A claw of white lightning formed, on his left hand this time.  
Kyouko retreated a couple of steps, holding her sword in front of her defensively.  
Tiberius attacked, using his fist and claw to drive her back by several steps. He concluded the volley by slashing his claw across her arm, the lightning channeled into her arm and electrocuted her.  
"Ah!" Kyouko cried, falling back one last step. She sucked in deeply. "Scream from Hell!" She let loose another sonic attack that pounded his ears.  
Tiberius covered his ears and yelled. His electric claw dissipated due to lack of concentration.  
Kyouko stabbed her sword into the log again. She channeled the shockwaves into the blade of her weapon. Ten seconds passed as the power built up. "Fox Strike!" She yanked it out and slashed at his neck.  
Tiberius recovered from his stumble and grabbed her by the wrist of her sword arm right before her blow landed. He formed a fireball on the palm of his Devil Fist and began to reach out. "I'll try to make this quick."  
Kyouko tossed her sword to her free hand and banged it against the side of the bridge. A wave of magic blasted out of her blade, cutting the tree cleanly in half. Both fighters let out a brief yelp before plunging into the freezing water.  
Kyouko managed to suck in a breath before she submerged. The current whisked both of them downstream along with the two halves of their former bridge.  
Tiberius swam after her, throwing a sloppy punch at her gut.  
Kyo guarded with the flat of her sword and thrust her other arm forward, hitting him in the breast with a Sound Palm.  
Tiberius gagged, bubbles pouring out of his mouth. He randomly swung his arm, connecting with the side of her head.  
Kyouko grimaced, her vision blurring for a moment. Her lungs began to strain for every second she remained underwater. She pushed herself up to the surface only for her opponent to seize her ankle and pull her back down.  
Tiberius let go of her and hit her three straight times in the face. His strength growing with every connecting strike.  
Kyouko bit her lip, helplessly floating backward. Small block spots started appearing around her vision.  
Tiberius lifted his Devil Fist for the final blow. His Angel tattoo shone in the water.  
Kyouko tightened her grip on her sword and stabbed it into his arm.  
Tiberius' face contorted from the pain. He clutched his wounded wrist, losing focus on casting his spell.  
Kyouko quickly swam to the surface, emerging from underneath the cold water and taking a deep breath of sweet, sweet air. She sighed in relief. That was a little too close for comfort…  
She cocked her ear, hearing the noise of loud rumbling in the distance; a waterfall. She gasped and swam for the shore, grabbing ahold of it and pulling herself up. Her clothes were now sopping wet and weighed about ten pounds extra.  
On top of that, she was freezing cold and plenty winded from her battle. She staggered to her feet and turned back to the river. "Tiberius?"  
He reappeared ways down the river, a few yards away from the waterfall. He clenched his fist at her one last time, before disappearing over the edge.  
Kyouko gasped and hurried over to the falls and looked down, but the former captain was nowhere to be seen.

.

At the Silent Fist Hideout...

.

The rest of the team continued their battle with Silent Fist. Most of the bandits had already been defeated, leaving Josiah to lead the defense. He lingered near the back of the brawl, manipulating the captive military soldiers.

Kayden ducked underneath an incoming blow, refraining from counterattacking.

"I'm sorry! I can't stop it!" the soldier yelled apologetically. He turned against his will and attacked her again.

Kayden hopped out of range, only to bump into another private who very nearly cut her head clean off her body. She spun out of the way at the last moment and exhaled. "Someone's got to take care of Josiah!"

Aikasa pummeled one of the few remaining bandits. "I'm a little busy at the moment!"

Silver activated his 'Electric Wings' spell, using it to fly over the battle. "I got him! Light Blade!" He surrounded his hand in light energy, molding it to look like knives. He swooped down on Josiah.

The Puppeteer saw him coming and knelt down, resting his free hand on the soft grass in front of him. "Holy Thread!" A volley of glowing white strings shot forth from the ground and entangled Silver.

He fought frantically to stay in the air. The light around his hand was absorbed into the line and his wings were restrained. He spiraled to the ground in spectacular fashion, bowling over Hime in the process.

Sam winced on their behalf. He looked around him, seeing that he'd been surrounded by another column of soldiers. Kion was struggling against another group a few yards away. Their situation could be a little better...

"Guys! Hey!"

Sam paused and glanced over his shoulder.

Kyouko stumbled into the scene. Both her hair and clothes were dripping wet and fresh injuries covered her body.

Sam smiled slightly upon seeing her. He had a feeling she'd be okay after her father showed up, but he was glad to see her none the less. "Good to see you in one piece."

Kyouko slid to a stop at his side and smiled wearily. "You guys having trouble?"

One of the soldiers broke formation and charged, forcing the two to evade.

"Things could be better," Sam answered. He nodded at Josiah. "That lowlife is using strings to control military captives. We can't fight back without hurting them."

Kyouko rubbed the back of her neck. "Wait, what about your golden flames?"

Sam stood back to back with her. "What about them?"

"It removes curses without harming people," Kyouko explained. "You can burn off the strings!"

Sam's fists unclenched for a second. "I, can't," he said, shutting his eyes.

"Why not?" Kyouko asked.

Sam's facial features hardened. "Because magic destroys everything that it touches. It's all that it's good for! I can't use it on them because it'll kill them!" He lowered his head. "Just like always."

Kyouko blinked, taken off guard by his outburst. "Sam, magic in itself isn't destructive or restorative. It's what you do with magic that makes it what it is. And if you choose to live in fear of it you'll never achieve anything!"

The soldiers started to close in on them.

Sam hesitated, glancing at the men in front of him uncertainly.

"You have to try," Kyouko said firmly.

Sam took a deep breath and took a step forward. "Golden Flames of Purification!" He unleashed a wave of bright flames from his body. It washed over Angel Wing, Silent Fist, and the Army, engulfing them all in golden light.

Sam lowered his arms and panted, staring up at the fire fearfully. "Please be alive, please be alive," he whispered to himself.

The flames cleared, and when it did, he saw that everyone was still standing. The strings had all been burned away, freeing the soldiers from Josiah's control. Sam sighed in relief. He glanced at his hands. "What do you know," he whispered, smiling at nothing in particular.

Josiah stared at the scene in shock. "What did you just do?"

All eyes turned towards the bandit. The vast majority of which were none too pleased with him.

Josiah glanced between them nervously. "Oh uh."

Hime waved her hand. "Xing Baolie." A purple streak of energy shot out of her palm and hit him square in the chest, resulting in an explosion that sent him flying into a tree.

Josiah slumped onto the ground, his head going limp.

Hime stomped up to him, searching his pockets until she found a pouch containing all over her keys. "I believe these are mine." She tucked the bag under her arm protectively.

Kion limped over to his daughter, using his spear for support. He cleared his throat. "I'm, glad to see that you're okay." A few seconds of silence ticked by. "Tiberius, is he?"

Kyouko nodded. "Yes, he is."

"I see," Kion said gravely.

"I'm sorry," Kyouko said softly. She heard the sound of battle and turned to face it.

Akita fended off Marcus' brutal assault with her sword, while using her whip to inflict damage on his arms and chest.

Marcus let up for a moment and panted. He gritted his teeth and engulfed his hand in frost. "Ice Dragon Claw!" He threw himself at her, swinging his arm down to strike.

Akita stabbed her sword into the ground in front of her and lifted her arm. Her eyes flashed white. "Negate!"

Marcus' fist slammed against her palm, but to his surprise, she didn't even flinch.

Akita giggled. "Explosion," she said in a sing-song voice. A jolt of explosive energy transferred from her hand to his, triggering a blast of magic.

Marcus fell on his back, gasping from the pain.

"Marcus!" Kyouko shouted. She and the rest of the Team ran to assist him.

Akita retrieved her sword. "So many punishments to doll out, I can hardly wait."

"Tiberius has failed," Alderic said. He strolled into the scene, his hands folded behind. He came to a stop at her left side. "We're pulling out."

Akita pouted. "Oh fine." She nodded at their enemies. "But what about them?"

Alderic took a second to size up the Angels. "Very well." A black magic aura appeared around him. "I'll take care of them before we go." The ground in front of him split open as though an earthquake had shaken the forest.

"This isn't good!" Kayden said nervously.

Out of the crack emerged two massive waves of Dark Ice, towering over all. Alderic took a deep breath. "Abaddon's Secret Art: Devastating Ice Wave Breaker!" He thrust both of his arms forward, causing a tsunami of ice to blast forward.

"Flame Titan: Scream!" Aikasa slammed a fire attack against the spell but failed to inflict any damage.

Kyouko stepped in front of everyone, clasping her hands together in front of her. She closed her eyes, channeling her remaining energy through her body. A light pink magic circle appeared behind her and began to spin.

"Kyo, be careful," Kion said worriedly.

Kyouko opened her mouth and began to sing in a soft voice. Each syllable echoed throughout the forest. Everywhere her voice reached a barrier of sound formed, covering her team, the army, and even the fallen bandits.

The spell she was using was called Kyouko's Lullaby. A technique capable of shielding up to twenty people by using her voice to control the sound waves around them.

The waves crashed down on them and exploded. Blasts of ice spewed out in every direction, freezing everything that it touched. Until the entire section of the forest had been frozen solid.

Alderic let his arms fall to his sides. His aura faded away. He strained to see through the icy mists left behind in the wake of his spell. When it cleared, his eyes widened. "Impossible."

Kyouko and the others stood unharmed. Her invisible sound barrier still surrounded them. Not even the ground beneath them had been touched. She ceased her song and fell onto the ground.

"Kyo!" Kayden exclaimed, kneeling down next to her. "You alright?"

Kion rushed to her side, pressing two fingers against his daughter's neck. A small smile appeared on his lips. "She's alive. But we need to get her back to town so she can rest."

Alderic retreated a step. How the heck did she stop his most powerful spell? He shook it off. "Let's get out of here. Master Dragon will want a full report."

Akita sighed. "Oh fine." She reluctantly followed him out of the forest. "But if he says we screwed up I get to punish you."

Marcus took a step after them but was held back by Himura.

"We can't chase them down in our current state," Hime said firmly. She nodded at his burned arm. "If we do there is no telling what could happen."

Marcus stared after the retreating Demons, eventually turning his back on them. "Let's get Kyouko to the nearest town," he murmured. "We'll have finish them off some other time."

.

Later...

.

"You sure it's okay for you to be up?" Kayden asked. She walked alongside the other girls, Kyo, upon awaking, had insisted on visiting the local flower shop. The entire group had gone to the nearest village; which just so happened to be Kyouko's hometown.

Kyo smiled at her. "Yes, I'm fine. I always pass out when I use that spell." She glanced at the distant sunset. "We better hurry, they're going to close soon."

Outside the flower store, there was a tall tree. Aikasa hung upside down from one of its branches, laughing childishly. She flipped herself back up and jumped to an even higher branch.

Marcus stood against the trunk with a gloomy expression on his face. A few pieces of bark showered on his head. "Tch, you are so immature."

Aikasa grinned at him. "At least I'm not the one sulking."

Marcus' eye twitched. "I'm not sulking! I'm just-"

"Brooding? Moping?" Aikasa asked playfully.

Marcus sighed. "I'm going to wait at the train station." He stood up and started to walk away, nodding at the girls as they passed him by.

Kyouko giggled at the scene before stepping inside the shop. The moment she entered her senses were barraged by a multitude of sweet smells. Flowers of every kind were growing in pots placed all over.

Hime gawked at the collection in front of them. "Luna would be in heaven here!" She noticed Silver and Sam standing by the door and shrugged. "Except you guys are here."

"Glad you think so highly of us," Sam said sarcastically.

Kyouko perused the merchandise, selecting couple dozen lily's and roses. She did it almost automatically like she'd done it all a thousand times before.

Kayden raised an eyebrow. "There a lucky guy?"

Kyouko shook her head. She approached the clerk and paid for her purchase, forming the flowers into a bouquet. "I'm fine from here," she said to her friends. "Mind waiting at the station?"

Hime was about to speak when she noticed something about the flowers the girl had picked; they were all used for mourning. "Of course."

Kyouko smiled. "Thank you." She exited the store and traveled across town. As she went the sun fully set and night fell on the land. The full moon was out but hidden behind a cluster of clouds. She finally arrived at her destination, the town graveyard.

She paused at the gate and took a deep breath. It'd been a while since she'd paid her mother a visit. She took a step inside, moving in the direction of her mom's final resting place.

As she drew closer, she noticed to her surprise that there was another man already standing in front of the familiar gravestone. Kion stood stone-faced, staring blankly ahead of him.

Kyouko inched closer, watching him warily. "Father," she greeted in a casual tone.

Kion snapped out of it and cleared his throat. "Kyo, I, thought you would've left by now."

Kyouko came to a stop at his right side. The headstone in front of her was quite ordinary. Just a dull gray slab with the Zentopian emblem hovering over the name: Siya Naru. "I wanted to pay my respects before I left."

Kion nodded. "Of course." He took a step to the left. "I'm sorry."

Kyouko knelt down in front of the grave, gently laying her flowers in front of it. As she did so, the moon came out from behind the clouds, casting its light upon her. Right away her hair turned from brown to black, and her fox ears and tail disappeared.

Kion stared at her sadly. "I know this doesn't make anything better. But I'm sorry."

Kyouko nodded. "... Why did you hit me?" As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the headstone.

Kion lowered his head. "Because you looked so much like her. Every time I saw you I thought of her, so I tried to avoid you, hoping that'd somehow take care of the problem. But slowly, my sadness turned to anger." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I blamed you for digging up all of these memories, and it got to the point where I lashed out."

Kyouko didn't move an inch throughout his explanation.

"I know I was pathetic, and mean. And, I just want you to know that I'm sorry," Kion said, setting a hand on his chest and lowering his head. "I'm glad that you found Angel Wing, and I hope they're better to you than I was."

Kyouko slowly stood up and faced him. She breathed in deeply. "I forgive you," she said in a level tone.

Kion opened his eyes wide. "Kyo, I, you can't," he trailed off.

Kyouko smirked. "I think that's my decision."

Kion chuckled despite the situation. He smiled at her. "Thank you, Kyo."

.

At the Angel Wing girls dormitory...

.

The train pulled into Draycott late at night, letting the team out. The entire Guild had already gone home by the time they arrived, so they instead set out for their respective dormitories.

"That was one heck of a mission," Aikasa said, shaking her head.

Kayden cleared her throat. "Yeah, and, when we tell the story, can we leave out the part where we were you know, captured?" she asked hopefully.

Kyouko shrugged. "They'll find out eventually."

Kayden sighed. "I suppose."

The girls all said their goodnights and all scattered off to their rooms. Hime yawned sleepily, stretching out her arms. She treaded into the lounge for a quick drink.

To her surprise, she found Diana had the same idea. She stood in the kitchen with a glass of milk in her hand. Despite the time she seemed wide awake.

"Hey Diana," Himura greeted tiredly.

"Hime," Diana replied. She downed her glass in one go, set down the cup and exhaled. For some reason, she looked a little sad.

Hime vaguely recalled something from the mission. "Hey, do you know anyone named Giovanni?"

Diana visibly tensed. She narrowed her eyes at the younger mage. "Where did you hear that name?"

Himura blinked at her a few times. "Somebody mentioned it on our mission."

Diana relaxed a bit. She bit her lower lip, seemingly pondering what her answer would be. "He forged my weapons."

Hime furrowed her eyebrows. "Any other connection?"

Diana's expression hardened. "None of your business." She set down the cup and fled from the room before Himura could react.

Hime stared after her for a minute. "That was weird," she murmured to herself. First Marcus, now Diana, both of them were acting strange for some reason. But, she supposed it wasn't any of her business. After all, she had her secrets of her own.

 **Up next: Rise of the Fox Devil**


	23. Rise of the Fox Devil: The Revival

**Thank you all for your reviews, they are very much appreciated. I again apologize for the delay, for some reason I had a really hard time writing this chapter.**

 **As some of you may have guessed, this will be the start of Sora's character arc. Hope you enjoy, any feedback is appreciated.  
Other characters...  
From Angel Wing: Danghoul, Zion, Ashley, Koan  
From Demon Fang: Kyle**

June 1 X784  
The Silent Fist incident passed but left its mark on the Guild. Both Marcus and Emma suddenly intensified their training without a single word of explanation as to why, and Kyouko occasionally paid visits back to her hometown to meet with Kion. Meanwhile, the rest of the Guild returned to normal, unaware of what would soon befall them.

Sora finished off his sixth set of steamed dumplings, setting the empty bowl down on top of the others. "Ah! That hits the spot." He rubbed his stomach.

Ashley smiled in his direction wearily. "You know we have a limited supply of those, right?" She poured a glass of rum and handed it off to Julie, who was busy having her morning drink.

Sora folded his arms behind his head and grinned. "All the more reason to have more of them now before everyone else takes the rest."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Well, unfortunately for you, Marcus just left to train, so you're going to have to wait till tomorrow to have more."

Sora pouted. "Fine, killjoy." He hopped off the stool and started over towards the job request board. He passed by Morrigan's table on his way over, allowing him to overhear snippets of her conversation.

Petra slid into the seat across from her. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

Morrigan glanced up from her book. "Oh, morning," she responded, before promptly returning to her reading. As she did so, she grumbled about something under her breath.

Petra cocked her head. "Are you okay?"

Morrigan sighed, snapping her book shut. "I'm all right." A deep frown appeared on her face. "It's just that, recently, I think somebody's been stealing my old magazines."

Sora froze on his way to the board, glancing over at them nervously.

"Really? Who would do that?" Petra asked.

"I don't know, but when I find him, I'm going to pummel him," Morrigan growled.

Sora dragged himself forward another few steps, a fake grin on his face.

"What magazines were stolen?" Petra asked.

Morrigan suddenly grew awkward. "Well... Let's just say they were fashion magazines. Adult ones," she said, scratching her cheek.

Sora's cheeks flushed, that was putting it lightly...

Morrigan noticed him and narrowed her eyes. "Hold on a second; you stole it didn't you!" She hopped to her feet and took a step toward him.

Sora backed away, waving his arms frantically. "What? No! Of course not!" he lied.

Morrigan drew back her arm. "I swear I'm gonna-"

The door to the Guildhall opened, and Captain James strolled inside. "Good morning everyone!" he called in a loud voice.

Everyone paused in the middle of whatever they were engaged in and stared at him. Sora used the distraction to slip away from Morrigan and over to the doorway. He studied the captain quizzically "Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.

James set a hand on his chest. "Do I need a reason to pay a visit to the local Guild?"

Everyone continued to stare.

"Okay, fair enough," James said, dropping the facade. "Truthfully, I need your help with something, something that may or may not break the Councils rule about not attacking Dark Guilds."

Sora folded his hands behind him. "Then you came to the right Guild!"

"Yeah, let's not say anything we can't take back," Marius said, joining the pair over by the door. "I'm still neck deep in paperwork from our little escapade in the mountains."

"But this time we'll have him to cover for us," Sora said, pointing at the captain with his thumb.

James tilted his head. "You will? I mean, you will!" he proclaimed. He looked over his shoulder as though he was expecting someone to come behind him. "I also might be able to convince the Council to donate a little more money to expand your Guildhall."

Sora smirked at his wording. "This is starting to sound like a bribe."

James held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not gonna force you to agree. I just want you to know that I can take care of the fallout. Besides, when you hear which Dark Guild I've located, you'll jump at the chance to take them out."

Sora's ears stood up straight. "Is it Demon Fang?"

James shook his head. "Nope, but it is a part of their Alliance, and one you know well for that matter; Devil's Advocate."

Marius narrowed his eyes. "Thought they were dead."

"They pretty much are," James replied. "But a little bird told me that all their remaining members are gathering in their original Guildhall to select a new master. This gives us a rare opportunity. Koan weakened Devil's Advocate by defeating Nagata; now we can finish them off for good."

Marius slowly nodded. "I'm starting to see the benefit. But what exactly would we be up against?"

A sly grin spread across James' face. "That's the best part. Only about a dozen minions are left to guard them. An S-class wizard and a strong backup team will take of everything."

Marius looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Alright, we'll do it," he conceded.

James clasped his hands together in front of him. "Excellent! I look forward to hearing the results."

The door behind him was kicked open, revealing an enraged Lieutenant Haley. "Captain!" she yelled at him.

James grimaced at her call. "And that's my cue to go." He turned around and walked outside without saying a word.

Haley stood at the door, keeping her eyes on him at all times. She began to follow him out. "I swear if you ditch me during your shift one more time-" The door swung shut behind them, muffling the end of her threat.

Marius shook his head. "And now we're Vandal's hit men," he muttered under his breath. "In any case, do we have any volunteers?"

Sora raised his hand. "I'll go, I've wanted to help stick it to Demon Fang since what they did to us at Mt. Hakobe."

Morrigan winced at the memory. "I'll pass, got a job with Julie and Raik later today."

Koan stood on top of his chair and raised his hand. "Oh! Pick me! I want to take down the rest of Devil's Advocate too!"

Marius waved him over. "Anyone else?"

Ashley shrugged. "Sure, you guys will probably need a medic."

Koan and Sora both stared at her as though she slapped them.

Ashley realized what she said and coughed. "Not that I think you'll get beaten up or anything. It's just." She sighed. "Forget it. All you need to know is that I'm coming along.

Marius nodded at her. "Very good." He scanned the crowd of wizards. "Aside from you three... Danghoul! Zion! I got a job for you!"

The two men emerged from further back in the crowd. Danghoul merely joined them by the exit without saying a word.

"Ah, what the heck? This could be fun," Zion said with a shrug.

Marius scrutinized the team for a minute, eventually nodding his approval. "This should be enough. Just be careful out there, if my experiences with Devil's Advocate has taught me anything it's that they're resourceful."

Danghoul nodded. "Yes master."

Sora folded his hands behind him. "Don't worry; I'm sure we can handle it."

At the Demon Fang Guildhall...

In the middle of the courtyard is a large diamond shaped area, walled off from the rest of the compound. In the center was a large oval shaped pool surrounded by beach chairs. Many off-duty wizards mingled there in between jobs.

Fenris sat down on the side of the pool, dipping his legs in the warm water. He wore blue trunks with a gray swim shirt for swimming. He glanced up at the sunny sky. "I guess this'll do until I get another combat mission."

Amelia sighed irritably, swimming a bit closer to him. She wore a two-piece swimsuit that was black with a red outline design. "Can you think of anything aside from fighting?"

Fenris shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a warrior at heart."

Amelia began treading water, sighing condescendingly. "How the heck did you survive in a Light Guild?"

Fenris laughed wistfully. "It wasn't an ordinary Guild, brawls there all the time, must've destroyed the furniture a thousand times over." As quickly as it came, his humor faded. "A shame Erza always broke things up before they could get too serious."

"Erza? As in Titania Erza?" Amelia asked.

Fenris nodded, rubbing the side of his head. "Yep, that'd be her. Whatever you do, stay on her good side."

Amelia smirked. "We're in a Dark Guild, how do you expect me to do that?"

"I don't know, but trust me, you don't want to make her angry," Fenris answered.

Akita approached the group, a towel wrapped around her body. "Fenris, Amelia," she greeted indifferently.

Fenris nodded at her. "Run out of people to punish?"

"For now," Akita said sadly. She dropped her towel. "But if you want to volunteer don't let me stop you."

Fenris blinked at her three times. "I, think you forgot something in the changing room."

Akita eased herself into the water. "Really? And what would that be?"

Fenris cleared his throat, glancing at the gathering crowd. "Your swimsuit."

Akita didn't even react to his comment and instead floated backward, exposing her naked body to half of Demon Fang. She smirked. "If you've got a problem you can take it up with me in private," she said with a wink.

"Right," Fenris muttered. The only way to be in private with her was if you were being punished.

Amelia suddenly came up behind the overseer, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her underwater. "Put on a suit you weirdo!" she snapped at her.

Akita broke free of her hold and pulled her under by the hair. "Naughty girl, you're lucky I don't have my whip. Guess I'll have to use my hand."

Amelia knocked her arm off and surfaced, narrowing her eyes. "Like heck, you will!" With that, the two girls began a noisy scuffle that doused everyone standing nearby with water. This did little to dissuade the onlookers, and in fact attracted even more.

Kyle sat at one of the cushioned lounge chairs nearby, basking in the warmth of the sun. He was wearing a pair of plain navy blue swim trunks. He glanced up from his book to see what all the commotion was about but couldn't see through the crowd. He shrugged, probably just another one of Akita's punishments.

"Enjoying yourself Mr. Aeris?"

Kyle turned his head to the right.

Matsudo sat on the chair next to him, still wearing his tuxedo. His signature smile remained fixed on his face.

Kyle smirked. "Do you wear that thing everywhere?"

Matsudo folded his hands in front of him. "Why of course, what a silly question."

Kyle stared at him a moment longer, before turning his head away. That man was one mystery he didn't know how to solve. "So, what business does the right hand of Demon Fang have with me?"

"We have a mission for you," Matsudo answered. The sounds of the girl's fight drowned out whatever he said next. He clapped his hands together in front of him, his smile becoming a bit more forced. "Could someone please stop their incessant squabbling?"

Fenris sighed. "I got it." He raised his hand, causing a bubble of water to surround the women and lift them ten feet into the air. He then released them, causing them to crash back into the pool, splashing the onlookers with water in the process.

Amelia and Akita both backed away from each other, glaring at the S-class wizard as they did so.

Matsudo cleared his throat. "Apologies for the interruption Mr. Aeris. As I was saying, Master Dragon needs you perform a rescue operation."

Kyle closed his book. "Didn't know we did those."

Matsudo chuckled. "We do for our own, and that's exactly who's in trouble." He leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice. "You see, the remnants of Devil's Advocate have gathered to select a new leader. We hoped that keeping it low profile would let them go under the radar, but recently they've stopped checking in."

Kyle nodded, starting to understand. "You think it's Angel Wing or the Council?"

Matsudo shook his head. "Doubtful, though they may be on their way. We believe a third party has intervened. We need you to identify them and evacuate the leaders of Devil's Advocate; we want that Guild to survive."

Kyle set his book to the side. "Alright, I'll do it." He did love a good mystery. "Just tell me where they're located."

At the Devil's Advocate Guildhall...

In the midst of a thick forest, several miles away from Draycott stands a foreboding structure made of stone. It's been given the nickname of Devil's Crypt for corpses of Nagata's many demons that litter its grounds.

Elias entered the catacombs, carrying a black staff with a glass orb at the top in his right hand. The chamber he stood in was shaped like a cube with dozens of passages leading all throughout the structure. Cells lined the walls of every one of them with inhuman bones laying inside.

In the middle of the chamber, six distinct looking men knelt with their hands shackled behind them. A dozen cultists dressed in all gray with hoods covering their faces stood behind them, all armed to the teeth.

Elias strolled inside, setting a hand on his chest. "Greetings leaders of Devil's Advocate!" he said in a loud voice. He approached them. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to apply for the position of Guild Master."

"Then mail us your resume," the eldest wizard muttered gruffly.

Elias laughed dryly. "Oh, make no mistake, I'm taking the position. None of you are worthy to bear Nagata's legacy." He swept his over the many cells. "You plan petty heists and thievery when you stand on top of a graveyard full of countless demons! Imagine the possibility's!"

"So what? They mean nothing if they're all dead!" a younger captive shouted at him.

Four cultists entered the room, carrying a blanket with the bones of a fox-like creature lying on top of it. They laid it down in front of the prisoners.

Elias stretched his staff out over the captives. "That's what I'm here to rectify." A beam of red light shot out the eldest prisoners chest and into the glass orb at the top of his staff, filling it with glowing red energy.

The old man gasped, before falling on his face, his life leaving him. The others all murmured fearfully.

Elias waved his staff over the bones. "Now behold! The power of Nagata's ultimate demon!" The energy he collected poured out over it.

The bones all levitated and reattached themselves. Tendons, flesh, and skin appeared to him, and gray fur covered him. The creature opened his eyes, revealing two glowing red orbs. The newly revived monster let out a low pitched snarl.

Elias lowered his staff. "Tell me demon, do you remember your name?"

The devil reached back, slowly scratching his head with his long claws. "Uhhhh," he moaned. He snapped, a look of remembrance spreading across his face. "Oh yeah! It was Sifer right?"

Elias let out a long sigh. "No, it's Siefer."

"That too," Siefer replied. He stood up on two feet, his tail stretching out behind him. He resembled a human in many ways but was covered in dark gray fur with glowing eyes and a long tail with a black tip. He set a hand on his thin stomach. "Got any food?"

A few of the captives snickered.

Elias raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that all you have to say?"

Siefer gazed up into the sky thoughtfully. "Hmm, yeah, pretty much."

Elias stared at him in disbelief. "You, were just, dead!" he yelled at him.

Siefer returned the stare. He suddenly cradled his head and opened his mouth wide. "I was!" He finally noticed the skeletons around him. "Ahhh! How long ago did that happen!"

"Sixteen years," Elias growled. Just his luck, all the demons in the Devil's Crypt and he revives the moronic feline. "How on earthland were you considered Nagata's ultimate creation?"

"You should see me when I have a full stomach," Siefer said with a hearty laugh.

"... You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"Not until I get some fresh meat in my belly," Siefer replied, patting his thin stomach.

Elias turned back to the assembled prisoners, all of whom seemed rather amused at the turn of events.

"About that one..." one of them spoke up, stifling his laughter. "While he is Master Nagata's most powerful creation, Siefer's gluttony and rebelliousness made him the most useless creature he ever created."

"Hey!" Siefer protested.

Elias rubbed his forehead. Of course, he should've known it was too good to be true. He waved at the cultists. "Bring me more bones!" he ordered. No matter, there were still hundreds more he could resurrect.

Siefer raised his hand. "So, about that meal."

Elias groaned. "And get this thing something to eat."

"Master Elias!" Another cultist ran into the room, stopping to salute.

Elias sighed. "What is it?"

The cultist lowered his arm. "A team from Angel Wing has entered the forest! They'll arrive at the Guildhall shortly."

The captives seemed torn on whether they should be relieved or worried.

Elias nodded. "Good."

"Sir?" the cultist asked.

Elias watched his men carry in the second set of bones. "They're no match for us." He pointed his staff at the line of captives, draining another man of his life. "And their lives will be fitting sacrifices for our demon army."

In the forest outside the Devil's Crypt...

Sora set a hand on his stomach and groaned. "Why did we go without eating lunch? I'm starving!" he whined.

Ashley smiled. "Sorry, but Koan ate our campfire," she said, nodding in the Slayer's general direction. "Besides, you had more to eat for breakfast then the rest of us eat in a whole day." Despite her sensory abilities, she held a wooden cane in her right hand, which she used to feel her way around.

"But that was four hours ago!" Sora groaned. Why was there only three meals a day, it wasn't fair! He huffed. "Couldn't Koan just reignite the campfire?"

Zion glanced back at him. "You want a meal cooked in the fires of hell?"

Sora cleared his throat. "Not particularly," he admitted. Hey, even he had standards!

Koan walked at the head of the group, leaning forward and squinting at every bush and tree that they passed.

Danghoul frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

Koan stood up straight and turned his chin up. "Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for Devil's Advocate," he said determinedly.

"I don't think they're in that bush," Sora said jokingly.

Koan spun around and started walking backward. He folded his arms behind his head. "Just making sure nobody's sneaking up on us."

"Relax, this isn't Silent Fist." Zion pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "We got Sora's nose and Ashley's senses on our side, no one's getting the drop on us."

"Don't get overconfident," Danghoul cautioned. He took the lead, his gaze fixed on the path in front of them.

"I know, I know," Zion said, holding up his hands. "Still, we got an entire team of exceptional wizards on our side. I'd like to see the minions guarding Devil's Advocate even try to break our stride."

Ashley's head jerked up, mild alarm apparent on her face. "Looks like they're about to try. I sense someone coming up in front of us."

Sora caught a whiff of a putrid scent coming from that exact direction. He pinched his nose and gagged. "Ugh, and he smells like a dead guy."

Zion smirked, his body temperature starting to rise. "Daring tactic." He lengthened his stride until he passed Grim. "I can take care of this one."

"You sure?" Ashley said doubtfully. "He's pretty big."

Zion nodded. "Noted, but still, I got this." He cracked his knuckles.

A ten-foot tall figure emerged from the trees in front of them, accidentally knocking one down in his haste. It resembled a man, but was covered in dark green scales and had a head like that of a dragon. It snarled upon catching sight of them, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils.

Zion blinked at the creature a few times to convince himself that it was real. He glanced back at the team. "You know on second thought, anyone else want to get this?"

Koan set a hand on his chin and seemed to give it a moment of critical thought. "Nah, I'll get the next one."

Zion rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the support." He covered his hands in oozing black magma, bits of which dripped onto the grassy floor. "Magma God's Hatred!"

The demon roared, and charged straight at him, opening his mouth to strike.

Zion rushed forward and planted his first punch in the beast's chest, causing it to bend over and groan. He let out a yell and pummeled its face with a brutal volley of punches.

The creature took a step back at each blow, burns appearing on its face and chest. A final blow caused it to crumple onto its hands and knees, groaning feebly.

Zion lowered his arms and let out a breath. "Okay, that was a little-"

The demon suddenly slammed its fist into the distracted wizards gut with incredible strength, its eyes blazing with fury.

Zion fell onto his back, his eyes widened. It took him a second to even register what happened.

"Zion!" Sora yelled.

The creature looked up at them and growled, stepping over the God Slayer and advancing on them instead.

"Well, you got his attention," Koan said with a shrug.

Danghoul pointed at their opponent with his index finger. "Dark Shot!" He began to fire magic bullets at it.

"Purge the darkness oh rain of light!" Ashley cried, shooting a volley of light projectiles from her palm.

Koan formed two finger guns and took aim, shooting fiery bullets at it. "Fire Devil's Twin Pistol!"

Sora whipped off his shirt and went onto all fours, covering his upper body in spikes. He zeroed in on his target, arching his back as he did so. His tail stood up straight. "Needle Spray!" He unleashed a torrent of arrows to accompany his teammate's spells.

The spells pelted the demon all at once, triggering a loud roar of agony. It shielded itself with its arms and sank onto one knee.

Sora let up his spell and straightened himself out. "Raptor Claws!" The tips of his fingers all sprouted sharp spikes. "I'll finish him!" He sprinted at their opponent full speed.

The demon peered out from in between his hands and snarled. He stood up straight and exhaled a sharp blast of orange flames.

Sora spun out of the way at the last moment and resumed his charge without so much as a pause. "You'll have to do better than that!" he shouted as he drew near.

Annoyed but not dissuaded, it swung its scaly arm at his neck.

Sora dropped to his knees and slid underneath the incoming blow, slashing his claws across the beast's chest in an X pattern, leaving a nasty wound behind. He proceeded to drop onto his back and roll out of the way of another incoming punch.

The demon opened his mouth for another breath attack.

Sora flipped onto his feet and raised his right foot. "Kleets!" The soles of his feet grew another set of spikes, which he used to hit his opponent on the side of the face via roundhouse kick.

The creature's head was knocked to the side, his fire breath shot out into the trees and ignited a few of them.

Sora winced on the forest's behalf. Hopefully, Captain Vandal would take the blame for that too... He snapped out it and returned his attention to the monster in front of him.

It roared at him and lashed out with his left arm.

Sora leaped back by two yards and smirked.

Now thoroughly pissed, the monster unleashed another storm of fire aimed directly at the young wizard.

"Locus!"

The fire splashed against an invisible wall before it'd even traveled the distance of a yard. The demon tilted its head, seemingly confused at what just happened. It tried to walk around the wall but instead ran straight into another one.

"I know that spell," Sora said to himself. He inhaled deeply, picking up a familiar smell mixed in with the smoke. He whirled around and pointed. "Ah ha!"

Kyle stood ten yards away, casually reading an old book. For battle he wore a blue hoodie, the hood of which was navy blue, the rest was a lighter shade while the zipper was yellow. Underneath he wore a white T-shirt, also brown slacks and black sneakers. He nodded without looking up. "You know, announcing yourself to your enemy is a good way of getting yourself killed."

"So is reading a book when one confronts you!" Sora shot back.

"Touché," Kyle replied, turning to the next page. He stole a glance up at the burning trees. "Tsk tsk, such a careless move, you almost burned down this entire forest." He snapped his wrist. "Locus!" Another invisible cube encased the trees. The flames quickly used up all of its oxygen and fizzled out.

Danghoul pointed his scythe at him. "Stay where you are."

Kyle held up one arm. "Take it easy; I'm not here to fight."

Ashley walked to Zion, poking him in the ribs with her cane. "You feeling okay there?"

Zion sat up, rubbing his bruised gut. "Couldn't be better." He worked his way back to his feet. "Just got taken off guard."

Koan skipped up to the caged demon and stuck his tongue out, enraging it further. He folded his hands behind him. "So what's this thing? Aside from weird."

Kyle glanced up at the thing for a second. "From the looks of it, it's one of Nagata's earlier attempts at replicating the power of a dragon." His gaze returned to his book. "It didn't go so well."

Danghoul narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

Sora crossed his arms and glared. "He's a member of Demon Fang, the same one I fought with at the Asylum."

"Names Kyle by the way," the dark wizard chimed in. "Pleasure to meet you."

Koan waved at him and grinned. "Hi Kyle! I'm Koan, this is Ashley, and Sora and-"

"Don't give him our names!" Sora and Ashley shouted in unison.

Zion took a couple of steps closer. "What are you doing here? You a part of the security detail?"

Kyle shook his head. "Not at all. I'm here on a rescue mission. The Devil's Advocate leadership appears to have found themselves in a bit of a situation. One apparently involving a pack of rogue monsters."

"Hold on, that's one of Nagata's demons," Sora said, pointing at the creature. "And yet you don't have any control over them?"

Kyle shrugged. "Why not, one of them got Nagata arrested in the first place."

Koan became uncharacteristically quiet. He crossed his arms and looked down.

"So what, the demons got loose and got their vengeance on Devil's Advocate?" Zion asked. He smirked. "I'm not seeing the problem here."

Kyle held his book out. "For starters, according to Nagata's log, the experiment ended in a complete failure that resulted in the subjects death." His hardened his facial features. "We're dealing with a Necromancer."

Danghoul lowered his weapon. "He's trying to create an army by resurrecting Nagata's old demons."

"Bingo!" Kyle said. He walked over to the caged beast, turning his back to it. "The Devil's Crypt houses hundreds of creatures just like these. And I have to admit; they're a little out of my league."

"Poor you," Sora said sarcastically. He didn't know what he wanted, but he knew it wouldn't be anything good, not for Angel Wing at least.

"Oh don't feel too sorry for me," Kyle said in mock appreciation. "I've just come up with a brilliant solution to my problem."

Zion summoned a puddle of black lava to his hand. "And what's that? Make it quick. I'm starting to run out of patience."

Kyle shut his book. "Isn't it obvious?" He set a hand on his chest. "I'm saying we should join forces!"

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Oh heck no!"

"Screw that."

"No way."

"Not in a million seconds!"

Danghoul shook his head.

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I was expecting," Kyle said. He stored his book away in his pocket.

Sora took a step closer to him. "How do we even know you're telling the truth?"

Kyle closed his eyes and smirked. "You want proof huh? Very well." He snapped his fingers. "Aires!" He drained the cube of air.

The demon gasped for breath but couldn't find any. It fell on its face, its eyes closing. A moment after its life left it, the scales melted off, leaving nothing but old bones behind.

"Is that how an ordinary creature dies?" Kyle asked casually.

Sora stared at the demon's remains. Unfortunately, he seemed to be telling the truth.

"Thanks for the info, but we'll take care of this ourselves," Ashley said firmly. She tightened her grip on her cane. "There's no way we'd ever work with a Dark Guild, especially not Demon Fang."

Kyle opened his eyes. "Might want to reconsider." He tapped the side of his head. "You see I've memorized a map of the catacombs and identified its only weakness. You can leave me and face an army of demons on your own. Or, we can join forces and bring the Devil's Crypt crashing down on top of them."

Sora clenched his fist.

Kyle set a hand on his heart and smiled. "What do you say? Have we got a deal?"

Elsewhere...

A faint smell reached Siefer's nose. He paused, setting aside the bones of the venison he'd just eaten. He took a deeper breath, again detecting the same scent, clearer this time. It almost smelled like a human crossed with a fox, more specifically a fox-devil.

Siefer grinned. "What do you know?" he said to himself. He slowly rose to his feet and chuckled. "My son has returned at last."


	24. Rise of the Fox Devil: Three demons

**Hello everyone, thank you for the feedback, it's very much appreciated. As usual, any comments or criticisms are weclome.**

 **Martyn: I've never seen that movie, and even I had, it's a little late to be making that request.**

 **Also, after thinking it over, I decided to accept another Demon Fang submission that I received, as the numbers are a little uneven. I believe I've said this before, but this should be the final submission I accept.**

 **Coolfireblast's Achak**

 **He'll be appearing next chapter. This current one will wrap up Sora's character arc. I hope you enjoy.**

June 1 X784

"It's simple, the catacombs underneath Devil's Crypt are supported by three key pillars, if we knock them all down it'll collapse on top of the Necromancer and all of his demons," Kyle explained. "I've already memorized all of their positions, we join forces, and I'll give you their locations."

Sora exchanged a few wary glances with the rest of the team. After a moment, he grinned mischievously. "Okay, we agree."

"Hold on, what?" Ashley asked, shooting him a questioning glare.

Sora ignored her and continued to address Kyle. "Just tell us where these pillars are."

Kyle scrutinized his behavior for a moment, a slight smirk working its way onto his face. He lifted his arm and pointed to the east. "Very well, the first is in that direction, the entrance to the catacombs is concealed underneath a large oak tree, be careful, or you'll miss it." He pointed to the northwest with his free arm. "The second is directly underneath the above ground structure of Devil's Crypt, which also means it'll be heavily guarded, so don't say I didn't warn you."

Sora folded his hands behind him. "What about the third one?" he asked innocently.

Kyle's smirk vanished. He lowered his arms. "I'll personally lead you to that one."

Sora shrugged. "Worth a shot."

Danghoul sighed. "We'll work together, for now," he consented. He narrowed his eyes at the Demon Fang wizard. "But you betray us, you die."

Kyle met his gaze and nodded. "Message received."

Zion did a quick count of their members. "I say we divide into three teams and hit all the locations at once," he suggested. He turned to the east. "I can take care of the first one."

Koan hopped up next to him. "I'll help!"

Kyle scrutinized the pair for a moment before nodding. "Your skills should complement each other well." He turned back to the rest of the team. "As for the second team, I was thinking-" He stopped, noticing that a wizard had vanished. "Wait, what happened to the grim looking one?"

Sora glanced at Ashley, who just smiled impishly.

Kyle ran his hand through his dark orange hair. "Alright, I suppose we'll just have to trust him to take care of it then."

Sora folded his arms behind his head, raising his tail a bit in the process. "I guess that makes the three of us the final team," he commented with slight regret. It didn't even look like he had any food on him.

Ashley's amusement faded as she came to the same realization. "Wonderful," she mumbled.

"Keep your eyes on him, there's no telling what he might do," Zion warned them. He began his trek towards his objective. As he did, he held up Kyle's book and waved it at him. "By the way, thanks for the book! It's a good read."

Kyle stared at him in rare surprise. He subconsciously reached into his pocket only to find it empty. "How the heck did he do that?" he murmured.

.

In the Devil's Crypt…

.

Elias felt a sudden cold wash over him, followed by a sharp decrease in his power. He looked up at the ceiling and frowned. "They defeated Nagata's sixth demon," he muttered in surprise. "How interesting. These wizards could pose a greater threat than I first thought."

Several dozen cultists stood at attention around the chamber, all wearing identical clothes to the other. They watched him, awaiting his next set of orders.

Elias slowly rose to his feet. "They won't interfere with my plans! Send demons to guard the support pillars! This pathetic group of wizard's won't stop us!"

.

In the forest…

.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Sora complained. He sprang forward, grabbing the side of the small cliff and quickly scaling to the top.

Kyle waited at the top for the two angels to climb up after him. "If we take the direct route we're liable to fall into a trap or ambush," he explained. "It's best to take the long way to avoid unneeded confrontation."

Sora sat down on the side of the cliff. "I still say it's a waste of a time. We'll have to fight those guys at some point anyways." He laid down on his back. "Besides, the sooner we finish the sooner we can eat."

"That's an odd concern for a man about to go up against a Necromancer and or one of his demons," Kyle said humorously.

"You have your worries, and I have mine," Sora retorted. He set a hand on his chin. "You think any of these demons are edible?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Considering they turn into a pile of old bones after they die, probably not."

Sora stuck out his lip. "Killjoy."

Ashley set her hand on the side of the cliff, feeling around for a foothold.

Kyle peered down at her. "Need some help?" he called down to her.

"Not from you!" Ashley called back. She tucked her cane under her arm and grabbed ahold of the rock wall, slowly scaling up the side. She reached the top and stood up straight, brushing the dirt off her shirt.

Kyle shrugged. "If you say so." He checked their surroundings, before resuming his previous pace. "Let's keep moving; we shouldn't be far away."

Sora raised his legs over his head and flipped back onto his feet. He spun around and hurried after him. His tail dragged on the ground behind him before perking back up.

Kyle glanced at the ginger tail for a second, then his fox ears. "What kind of magic are you using?" he finally asked. "Is it a takeover spell?"

Sora folded his hands behind him. "What are you talking about? I'm not using any magic, and I don't even use takeover."

Kyle scoffed. "Oh c'mon, you expect me to believe you were born a half-fox?" he asked sarcastically.

Sora folded his arms behind his head. "I don't care; you can believe whatever you want."

Kyle studied his expression for a second, his eyes widening. "You're serious aren't you?" he asked rhetorically. "What, is one of your parents a fox or something?"

Sora shrugged. "Heck if I know." A gloomy look passed over his face.

"Sore subject?" Kyle guessed.

Ashley roughly elbowed him. "Shut up and leave him alone."

Kyle rubbed his bruised arm. "Tch, don't worry, I've got no intention of prying." He slowed down as the terrain in front of them declined, leading down to a section of the forest with fewer trees.

Sora absentmindedly followed suit. His vainly attempted to recall any memory of either of his parents, but as hard as he tried he couldn't think of anything. The only thing he knew about his past was that he was given to an orphanage at random. Of course being the only kid with a fox tail made him a social punching bag, so he ran away. From there he bumped into Marius, and the rest was history.

He glanced back at his tail. _I wonder, could me being half-fox be why my parents abandoned me?_ That wasn't a comforting thought. He shook his head, returning his thoughts to the present. "How much farther are the catacombs?"

Kyle reached the bottom of the hill and stopped. He smirked. "It's just ahead." He nodded at an old hunting cabin a short distance away from them. "The entrance is right in there."

"Where?" Ashley asked, unable to see where he was signaling.

Sora squinted at the cabin. "That's it?" he asked skeptically.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "What did you expect, a castle? There's a reason this place took so long for you to find."

A watchmen noticed them from the window and shouted to his comrades. Soon six cultists shoved open the door and charged at the trio.

Ashley's expression hardened as they entered her sensory field. "Heads up."

Sora bent down and formed two fists. "Don't worry we got this, three against six!"

Kyle took a step back. "Two against six actually, good luck."

"Hey!" Ashley protested.

Kyle raised his hands. "You're the one that said you didn't need any help from me. So why should I get involved?"

Ashley huffed. "Whatever."

Sora took off his shirt and tossed it to the side. He lined his back with spikes and lowered himself onto all-fours. "Rip Saw!" He sprang at their opponents, forming himself into a ball and rolling into the closest enemy.

The man immediately fell on his back, letting out a loud "Oof!" as he did.

Just as Sora began to stand up, another cultist grabbed him from behind, lifting him into a bear hug. He gritted his teeth. "Cactus Coating!" He covered his entire body in a layer of spikes.

The cultist screamed, dropping the boy onto the ground. He tumbled onto his back and drifted into unconsciousness.

Sora allowed the spikes to recede. He glanced over at the rest of their opponents.

Two of the remaining four let out a yell and charged only to get zapped by bolts of light shot from Ashley.

Sora grinned at her. "Nice aim!"

Ashley joined him, a slight bit of pride on her face. "Thanks." She faced the last cultists. "Care to surrender? It'll make this easier."

The larger of the two sneered. "We're not done yet." He went down on one knee and slammed his palm against the ground. "Pitfall!"

The ground underneath the Angels gave way and collapsed. Ashley narrowly managed to grab onto the edge before falling.

Sora, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He plummeted into the pit, letting out a yell that echoed throughout the catacombs.

"Sora!" Ashley yelled as he left her sensory field. She heard snarky laughter and gritted her teeth.

The two cultist sauntered on over to her. "You're done for now!" the earth wizard said arrogantly. He lifted his hand to cast another spell.

Kyle sighed and made a few arm gestures. "Contours!"

The cultist suddenly whirled around and grabbed his companion by the arm, using it to swing him around and hurl him into the chasm. "Huh, what's going on!?" he yelled hysterically.

Kyle flicked his fist. "Vlotter."

The cultist was lifted high above his pitfall, before promptly being dropped into it. A loud yell filled the air, followed by the sound of a crash.

Kyle lowered his arms and strolled over to the pit, taking a seat next to Ashley, his legs dangling over the side. "So, do you need my help now?"

"Shut up!" Ashley snapped.

.

In the catacombs…

.

Sora climbed out of the rubble; his head pounded like a drum and his limbs all ached from the fall. He slowly took in his surroundings. He now stood in a strange underground cavern made of stone. There were four dark passages on every side of him, the walls of which were all full of cells.

The only source of light came from the hole above him which cast a beam of light on the chamber he currently stood in. Sora rubbed his throbbing head. "Guess I should be glad that I survived," he murmured.

He smelt something disgusting coming from behind him. Something of a cross between a fox and the demon they fought earlier. He spun around, his head spinning with him. He stumbled back a step and groaned. "Who's there? Show yourself or I'll, ugh."

A dark chuckle emitted from the eastern passage. "Calm down; you're in no condition to be talking like that." A seven-foot-tall fox lumbered into the chamber, his tail swaying behind him. He stared at the boy with piercing red eyes.

Sora squinted at the creature. "Who are you?"

"My name is Siefer," the demon responded. A toothy grin spread across his face. "I never thought I would've met you here, my son."

Sora stiffened. "What did you say?"

Siefer pointed a clawed finger at him. "Your scent is unmistakable, and the color of your tail." He grew distant for a moment. "It looks so much like your mother's hair."

Sora shook his head. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, I-"

"Don't you?" Siefer interrupted. He tapped his scalp. "Think, your left eye is red, and the right is green, you have a tail and ears, and…" His fur hardened into spikes. "We have the same magic."

Sora's hand trembled. "No, this can't be. You're one of Nagata's experiments!"

Siefer closed the gap between them by another step. "Yes, but unlike the rest of them, I escaped. I entered the real world, and boy, did it suck." He growled. "The moment they saw me, they tried to kill me! I was better off in this prison!"

Sora wanted to turn and run, but his injuries prevented him from doing even that.

Siefer softened. "Still, there was one who saw past it all."

"My mother," Sora guessed. He hated to admit it, but the demon looked like him, even having the same red eyes. Could he be telling the truth?

Siefer nodded. "Smart boy. Yes, your mother and I spent a wonderful year together." His face darkened. "Until Nagata came looking for me, I told her to run to Draycott, hoping that Holy Seraph would stop them before they caught up to her. Judging from your confusion, though, it seems my faith was misplaced."

Sora rubbed his forehead. If that were true, his mother would've left him at the orphanage to throw Devil's Advocate off his scent. "You're saying that you tried to protect me?" he whispered.

Siefer lowered his head. "Yes, though it appears I failed." He closed his eyes. "I can only imagine how tortuous it must have been not to know your origins, for which I'm truly sorry."

Sora stared at the demon. Sadness bubbled up inside of him. "That's, okay," he said hesitantly. He didn't know what to say, to any of it!

Siefer opened his eyes. "At least now, you can join our new family."

"You mean Nagata's demons," Sora repeated. He narrowed his eyes. "No thanks, I'd rather stick with Angel Wing."

Siefer snorted. "You consider those humans to be your friends? Foolish boy, you think they care about you?" he asked. He also narrowed his eyes. "They'll keep you around only as long as you're useful, as soon you stop being so, they'll discard you, like Nagata discarded me."

"They're not Nagata," Sora shot back.

Siefer groaned. "Oh Sora, humans are all the same. They're arrogant, apathetic and selfish. They'll do anything to insure the furtherance of their own goals. And eliminate anything that gets in their way. We're just monsters to them; that's all we'll ever be."

Sora took a step forward. "They only think that way because monsters terrorize them! If you want to change their perception, show them how you're different."

Siefer thought for a second before shrugging. "Interesting thought, I'll have to tell Elias about it. Though I doubt he'll care" He cracked his neck. "But for now. please, come along peacefully. I'd rather not have our first meeting end in violence."

Sora slowly shook his head. "I'm not going to let Elias take over Fiore!"

Siefer shrugged. "Suit yourself." He stretched his arms. "You'll come around eventually, whether in life, or death."

"Hang on Sora!" Ashley dropped down from above, a faint glow of light surrounding her body. She landed in between him and his father. "You alright?"

Sora smiled. "Little banged up."

Kyle climbed down the side of the pit, dropping onto the floor to the angels left. "Who's your friend?" He sized up the fox-devil.

Sora sighed. "Ashley, Kyle, meet Siefer. According to him, he's my father" he said halfheartedly.

Kyle's eyes widened. "Well, guess I was right about where you inherited the tail and ears," he said jokingly.

Siefer's gaze was drawn to the chest area of Ashley's blue halter top. He grinned and snapped at her. "Like the shirt."

Ashley glowered at him. "See the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," she said dryly.

Siefer's fur morphed back into spikes. "What can I say? I'm a lady's man!" He started to amble his way over to them. "Now, if you don't mind, Elias is going to need your lives."

"Locus!" Kyle trapped the creature in a cube.

Siefer roared and flailed against the invisible walls, causing them to waver.

Kyle gritted his teeth. "That won't hold him for long."

Ashley waved her hand over the wounded fox-boy. "Healing Wave." A stream of light poured out of her palm and engulfed him, mending all of his injuries.

Sora sighed in relief. His head stopped pounding, and the pain fled from his body. "I owe you one Ash," he said with a slight smile.

Kyle retreated a step. "We need to lure him into a wider area," he said to his temporary comrades. He grimaced as the demon flailed on his spell even more. "Otherwise, we won't stand a chance."

"You're the one that memorized the map! Where do we go?" Ashley asked. She took a step away from the flailing monsters.

Kyle nodded at the passage behind him. "Take the route behind us. It should lead to a wider chamber."

Ashley turned around and hurried down the specified path.

Sora began to follow suit, but stopped and glanced back at the demon.

Siefer sighed condescendingly. "You can't trust them Sora, they'll betray you eventually!" he called after him.

Sora tore his gaze away from him and ran after Ashley.

Kyle slowly backed away, putting as much distance between him and the demon as he could before dropping his spell, turning, and running after the others.

Siefer casually strolled after them, making no haste. "Man, I'm getting hungry," he complained to himself. He set a hand on his stomach. "I wonder how humans would taste?"

.

In the forest…

.

Zion pried open the old wooden hatch, brushing off the cobwebs. "Sheesh doesn't look like anyone's used this hatch in years." He squeezed himself through the opening and dropped down. The tunnel in front of him was dark, with several torches illuminating it. "That's weird, would've assumed there'd be more guards."

Koan hopped onto the ground directly in front of him. "Maybe they're all on break," he said with a shrug.

Zion snorted. "Wouldn't that be lucky?" he asked jokingly. "But I doubt it."

"Hey, you never know," Koan insisted. He sauntered down the dimly lit passage. "I once convinced a guard to go on a snack break."

Zion chuckled. "Oh yeah? And how did you do that?"

"By eating my meal really loudly," Koan answered.

Zion lifted an eyebrow. "Was this guard Sora?"

Koan nodded. "Yep! We were on a mission to protect a museum from a robbery." He set a hand on his chin. "I wonder if that's why the owner got so mad at us?"

The two arrived in a large room shaped like a hexagon. More torches lit up the area, casting light on the large stone pillar in the center of the chamber. Against it stood a young woman with strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. She had pale skin and wore a black and white skirt. Most noticeably, two demonic horns protruded from her head, accompanied by razor sharp teeth. "Elias was right after all," she said in a smug tone.

Zion came to an abrupt stop and smirked. "Any chance you can convince this one to go on a snack break?"

Koan cocked his head. "Depends on how hungry she is…"

The woman sighed. "Figures, first opponent's since waking up are a pair of dunces. This is going to be _so_ boring," she drawled.

Zion pretended to look insulted. "So sorry to disappoint." He rolled his eyes. "What the heck are you anyways? One of the demons?"

The woman grinned. "Nagata's seventeenth creation to be precise. Names Moya." She stretched out her arms. "Haven't had a good brawl since I woke up, hope you two will be a good warmup."

Zion's body temperature rose sharply. He generated a spinning disc of black magma on the palm of his hand. "We'll do a lot more than warm you up! Magma God's Sin!" He hurled the disc at her neck.

Moya covered her foot in frost, her grin widening. "Ice Devil Frozen Heel!" She knocked the spell into the wall with a swift kick, showering the room in pebbles.

"An ice wizard, great," Zion muttered.

Moya giggled. "A God Slayer huh? Now this'll be fun!" She took a deep breath. "Ice Devil's Rage!" She bellowed out a blizzard's worth of ice.

"I got this! Fire Devil's Rage!" Koan matched her breath attack with one of his own. The two streams clashed, resulting in a loud hiss and a blast of steam. They remained deadlocked for a moment before the ice overtook the flames and hit the duo head on.

Zion shielded himself with his arm, grimacing as part of it froze. "Augh, how did an ordinary Devil Slayer overpower you?" he asked his partner.

Koan picked himself up, his lower chest and shoulders having taken the brunt of the spell. "I, don't know," he admitted. "My fires summoned from the planes of hell; she shouldn't have been able to do that."

"Are you really this dense?" Moya asked smugly. She set a hand on her chest. "My ice is also summoned from hell."

Koan narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah? Well, let's see how your hell-ice or whatever handles this!" He stood up straight. "Black Dragon Roar!" He unleashed a second breath attack at her.

Moya wiggled her index finger. "Ice Devil's Frost Mirror." She created a thick shield that successfully blocked his attack. She lowered the shield and clapped her hands together in front of her. A dozen arrows materialized behind her. "Ice Devil's Horns!" The shafts all flew forward the moment she finished the incantation.

"Magma God's Hatred!" Zion engulfed his hands in lava and punched through the volley, closing the gap between him and the demon. As soon as he entered striking range, he let out a furious yell, throwing a punch at her face.

Moya tilted her head out of the way. "You telegraph your movements; I saw that coming from a mile away." She hopped away from him, swinging her arm in front of her. "Ice Devil's Javelin!" Three spears formed in front of her and shot at him.

Zion swatted two of the air, but the third hit him in the lower chest. He clutched his injury and grunted. He smirked as she put, even more, distance between them. "So that's it."

Koan strolled over to him. "What is?"

"She can't fight at close-quarters," Zion deduced.

Moya growled at him. "What was that?"

"Care to prove him wrong?" Koan asked, igniting a fist in hellfire.

Moya grew even angrier but didn't move in. She raised her arm overhead and conjured a snowflake shaped disc. "Ice Devil's Chakram!" She wound up before hurling the weapon at her opponents.

"Fire Devil's Slingshot!" Koan engulfed himself in flames and propelled himself into the projectile, shattering it in one blow.

Zion capitalized on the moment and inhaled. "Magma God's Bellow!" He shot a river of lava at their enemy.

"Ice Devil's Rage!" Moya matched his breath attack with one of her own.

While the two were deadlocked, Koan charged forward. "Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" He surrounded his hand in darkness and jumped at her.

Moya turned her stream away from Zion and over to him, blowing him back with ease.

Koan landed on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The freezing effect from his wound set in, causing him to groan. He rolled onto his stomach and pulled himself back up. "Uh, that hurts like a scratched coconut."

"A what?" Zion repeated.

"Never mind," Koan answered. He spun back around and pointed at the demon. "I've just discovered the perfect plan to defeat you!"

Moya cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Zion glanced at his companion. "What plan?" he whispered to him.

Koan slammed his fist against his palm. "I'm going to punch her in the face!"

Zion snorted. "Gee, wish I'd thought of that," he said sarcastically. "How are you even planning on getting close to her without getting blasted again?"

Koan crossed his arms. "It's simple; I'll just eat her ice."

Zion resisted the urge to facepalm. "Did that last attack freeze your brain? Koan, you can't eat her ice!"

"Why not?"

This time, Zion did facepalm. "Because it's the opposite of fire! Why _would_ you be able to eat it?"

Koan stretched his legs. "Because, both our magic is created by Nagata, and both elements are summoned from the planes of hell. So we should be compatible. It's science!" He stood up straight and walked towards her.

Moya rolled her eyes. "Give me a break." She formed a ball of ice on her hand. "Ice Devil's Frost Grenade!" She tossed it at his feet when it landed it exploded into an icy vapor that froze whatever it touched.

Koan grimaced as his knee and elbow were encased in ice. He let out a yell and sucked in as hard as he could. At first, the cold substance seemed to resist him, what little he did manage to inhale he almost spat back out. He hardened his resolve and sucked harder, forcing the vapor down his throat. Soon he inhaled a consist stream of the element.

He breathed in the last of the mist and groaned. He rubbed his stomach, his fire, and her ice didn't agree with each other.

Moya's eyes widened. "You actually ate it?"

A surge of power flowed through Koan, causing his arms to be ignited in icy blue flames. He glanced at each of his arms, whistling his approval. "Me likey!" He looked up at the demon, forming a fist. "Now for the next stage in my master plan."

Moya waved her arm frantically. "Ice Devil's Horns!" She released another volley of frozen arrows upon the duo.

Koan ran through the barrage, smacking aside whatever projectiles were in his eye. He let out a yell as he closed in on her. He focused all of the frozen flames into his right hand and formed a fist. "Ice-Fire Devil's Shatter Fist!" He slammed his fist into her chest, causing her to bend over and gag.

The area around the point of impact froze over. The ice itself, however, was hot to the touch. Moya cried out and fell to the floor. She kicked and struggled for a moment before her movements all stilled. Upon dying her skin turned to ice and shattered. Only bones were left behind.

Zion stared at the scene in surprise. "Got to say, that was a heck of a show."

Koan managed a weak grin. "Thanks, now if you don't mind." His stomach churned. "Could you please take care of the pillar? I think I'm going to be sick." He fell on his face and curled up into a ball.

Zion chuckled. "Don't worry; I got your back." He turned to face the pillar and breathed in. "Magma God's Bellow!"

.

Outside the Devil's Crypt…

.

Danghoul crouched down behind the bushes, studying the enemy base. The Devil's Crypt was located inside of an old military prison; complete with barred windows and iron doors. It was two stories tall and guarded by about a dozen cultists.

Danghoul slowly raised his arms and clasped them in front of him. "Midnight Shadows Dance." He seized control of the minion's shadows, morphing them into weapons that he propelled into the cultists, taking all of them down at once.

He stood up and walked up to the front door, shooting the lock off with a quick casting of "Dark Shot." The gate slid open with a loud squeak, allowing the wizard entrance.

The interior was surprisingly bare, with very little equipment or décor. Even the prison cells were all empty. Danghoul strolled inside, sweeping his gaze across the dull room. Before he'd even searched half the area the sound of a low rumble caught his attention.

He spun around to face the noise. Seeing a large slab of stone moved to the side, exposing an opening that led to a set of spiral stairs.

Danghoul walked up to it and lifted an eyebrow. It seemed he was being invited in. He cautiously walked down the stairs to the underground section of Devil's Crypt. He came out in a vast room full of the bones of demons.

Not far away from him, several distinctly dressed men lay face down on the ground. The only thing they had in common being that they bore the Devil's Advocate Guild mark.

"Guess we won't have to worry about them." Danghoul glanced down one of the hallways, vaguely making out the shape of a pillar a short distance away. He slowly approached it, keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble.

As he walked a man dressed in navy blue robes stepped into view, blocking off the hallway. He wore a metal mask over his face and carried a black staff with a glowing red orb at the tip of it. "Welcome to the Devil's Crypt," he said calmly.

Danghoul stopped in place, crossing his arms. "I take it you're the Necromancer."

The man chuckled. "You'd be correct." He set a hand on his chest. "My name is Elias. And if rumors are to be believed; you're Danghoul Yamaca of Angel Wing. I heard about your handiwork in Rara."

"Hm," Danghoul muttered in response. He reached back and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his weapon. He then resumed his previous pace.

"Not the talkative type I see," Elias commented. The orb on his staff began to glow brighter. "Oh well, in the end, all that matters to me is how many demons your life is worth." He pointed his staff at him and fired a bright red streak of magic at him.

Danghoul sidestepped the spell without breaking his stride. He pointed at the Necromancer with his free hand. "Dark Shot!" He returned fire with three shadow bullets.

Rather than dodge, Elias allowed each projectile to nail him on the chest. He didn't even flinch at the wound and instead chuckled. "Do you think a meager spell like that can hurt me?"

Danghoul slowly withdrew his scythe. It seemed he'd have to try a more direct approach. He rushed forward and slashed his weapon at his opponent.

Elias hopped away from the first blow, guarding the second with his staff. He tightened his grip on his staff and counterattacked.

Danghoul parried and attacked, entering into a vicious cycle that repeated over a dozen times throughout their duel. He finally shoved the Necromancer back with a palm to the stomach and waved his arm. "Midnight Shadows Dance!" He created a myriad of weapons from the darkness around him and unleashed them all upon the man.

Elias raised his staff overhead. The orb emitted a field of energy that surrounded him like a dome, burning away all the projectiles. He lowered the shield, the glow on his staff diminishing a bit.

Danghoul zeroed in on the object. So, he used Holder type magic then. He ran at his enemy again, locking weapons with him. He removed a hand from his scythe and pointed it at Elias' wrist. "Dark Shot!" He shot a bullet straight into it at point blank range.

Elias grimaced, instinctively loosening his grip on his staff, allowing Danghoul to kick it from his hand.

Danghoul placed his foot on top of the discarded stick, setting the blade of his scythe at the Necromancer's throat. "Yield," he demanded.

Elias stared at him, before bursting into laughter. "A well-fought battle." He reached up for his mask, pulling it off. "But I'm not yielding." His face was covered in gray skin with glowing hazel eyes and three horns sticking out of his head.

Danghoul blinked at him. "You're one of Nagata's demons."

Elias nodded. "The original to be exact." He took a step forward. "And you see."

Danghoul snapped his wrist, slashing the blade of his weapon across his opponent's neck.

Elias winced, but aside from a momentary flash of pain, he seemed largely unaffected. He recovered and laughed. "My life is bound to every demon in the Devil's Crypt! As long as even one of them lives, I can't die!" He sent Grim flying across the room a swift punch to the gut.

Danghoul slammed against the wall and fell onto his hands and knees.

Elias held out his hand, summoning his staff back to it. "Now, where were we?"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Sora threw open the doors to the abandoned dojo and ran inside. The room was pitch black with no source of light. Training dummies, targets and old weapon racks filled the area. Aside from the way they came in, there wasn't any way out.

Ashley sensed this and huffed. "Great job genius, you led us to a dead end!"

"The goal isn't to escape, it's victory," Kyle said defensively. "We needed a wider his space to fight this, whatever it is."

"His name is Siefer," Sora chimed in.

Ashley remembered his earlier statement and frowned. "Did you say that thing is your father?"

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Is now really the best time to talk about this?" he asked evasively.

"I'm with her," Kyle said. "How on earthland is are you his son?"

Sora shrugged. "Look, I don't know!" he exclaimed. "I'm not even sure if he's telling the truth! Let alone how it's possible."

Ashley sighed. "I'm sorry, but we need to use whatever advantage we can." She tapped her finger against the side of her cane. "If we don't, Siefer will kill us."

"Speak of the devil, I can hear him now," Kyle commented. He took cover behind one of the training dummies, gesturing for the others to do the same.

Ashley hurried over to the dummy next to his while Sora dove behind a weapon rack.

Siefer crawled through the doorway, his red eyes scanning the room. He lifted his head and took a long sniff. He grinned in an overly toothy fashion. "I know you're in here Sora! I can smell you and your friends!"

The hairs on Sora's tail stood up straight.

"Great, now what?" Ashley whispered.

Kyle analyzed their surroundings, nodding as he came to a conclusion. "Not to worry, I've got a plan." He pointed at the demon. "Sora, you go out and distract him as long as you can, in the meantime Ashley will sneak up behind him and blind him with a flash of light."

"And what are you going to do? Run while he makes mincemeat out of us," Ashley hissed.

Sora stared at his supposed father from cover. "That does sound kind of suicidal," he agreed.

"Hey, if you'd rather wait here for him to sniff us out, be my guest," Kyle shot back.

Sora sighed, realizing they had no other choice. "Fine, I'll do it. But you better know what you're doing." He cleared his throat, slowly standing up.

Siefer turned his head towards him. "Hello son," he said calmly.

Sora walked around from behind his cover, approaching the fox. "I, uh." He racked his brain trying to think of something to say. But what were you supposed to say to a demon who claimed to be your father? "I thought about what you said."

Siefer widened one eye. "Did you know?"

Ashley began to creep around him, moving extremely slow to avoid bumping into anything.

Sora continued walking until he stood right in front of the demon. "Yes, I did. And, I, decided you were right."

Siefer rose onto two feet, towering over him. "Good," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "It's for the best; those humans would've turned on you the moment you stopped being useful. It's in their nature."

Sora chewed on his lip. "Yeah, I know. I just uh, didn't want to admit it." He stole a glance at his partner.

Ashley began to close in on him.

"It's such a shame," Siefer whispered. The hairs on his tail hardened into spikes. His expression turned into one of blind fury. "That you'd try to deceive me like this!"

Ashley gasped and ran at him, summoning light to her hands.

Siefer huffed in annoyance. "Little pest." He swatted her into the wall with a quick swing of his tail. He grabbed Sora by the throat and lifted him into the air. "Did you really think I'd be so stupid? I'll have you know that when I'm fed, I have legendary perception!"

Sora gasped, feeling his air flow get cut off. "Right, my bad."

Siefer sighed. "Oh well, I suppose you're still half-human." He tossed him to the side like a rag doll.

Sora hit a weapons rack, knocking over it and spilling weapons all over the place. He gritted his teeth, pain biting him in the back and head. He climbed to his feet and glanced over at his comrade.

Ashley also managed to stand up, rubbing her wounded side. She raised a hand overhead. "Light Rejuvenation!" A wave of light washed over both her and her partner.

Sora felt his pain recede a bit. His body also felt lighter and stronger. "Thanks, Ash," he said with a slight grin.

"Not a problem," Ashley grunted.

Siefer glanced over his shoulder. "Now, where's the third?" He zeroed in on one of the training dummies and smirked. "There you are." He swung his tail again, this time releasing a half-dozen spikes straight at it.

The projectiles tore straight through the dummy but didn't hit anything.

"Huh?" Siefer murmured. He scratched his head. "I knew I smelled him over there."

Sora saw his chance and bowed his head. "Thorn Horns!" A pair of spikes sprouted from each side of his head. He charged straight into his father, his horns penetrating his thick hide.

Siefer howled in pain. He glared down at his son. He formed a spike covered fist and punched at his head.

Sora dodged by leaping away from him. "Raptor Claws!" His nails extended into claws.

Siefer smirked at him, surrounding his other fist in another set of spikes. "Ah, now this could be interesting."

Ashley surrounded Sora in a shining aura. "Light Rejuvenation!"

A wave of energy rushed through Sora, making his body feel lighter. "Whoa," he murmured, forming two fists. He launched himself at his father, narrowly evading an incoming punch. He ran around the demon, slashing his claws across his back.

Siefer snarled. "Why you little-" He coated his tail in a row of spikes and lashed out at his opponent.

Sora propelled himself away from the tail before it hit him, sliding to a stop a few yards away.

Siefer whirled around and charged at him. "We're not done yet!"

"Vlotter!"

Siefer was suddenly lifted into the air by an invisible force. He thrashed around. "Hey! Put me down!" he protested.

Sora blinked at the scene. Talk about timing.

Kyle strolled up to his side, his gaze fixed on the fox-devil. "You're strong; I'll give you that. But in the end, you're still just a slow-witted beast."

Sora glowered at him. "Where exactly did you disappear to?"

"Nowhere," Kyle said calmly. He set his free hand on his forehead. "My magic allows me to manipulate everything, including your minds. I made you see nothing when in reality I was standing in plain sight."

Siefer grew even more enraged at his words.

Kyle snapped his fingers. "Now let's send this demon back to the grave."

Sora lowered himself onto all fours and covered himself in spikes. He stared up at the devil, hesitating for a moment. He swallowed hard. "Needle Spray!" He unleashed a torrent of arrows that pelted the creature.

Ashley joined in, hitting Siefer with a volley of light magic.

Siefer managed a pained howl as each spell hit him square on.

Kyle lowered his arm, slamming the demon onto the ground.

Siefer let out another groan as his body went limp. His red eyes slowly closed.

Ashley sighed in relief. "Glad that's taken care of."

Sora inched closer to the fallen beast. "Yeah, looks like it," he said halfheartedly. He studied him, he used the same magic and shared his appearance; could it be possible that he was his father after all?

Siefer's eyes suddenly reopened. He stood back up and grabbed Sora by the throat, lifting him into the air. He chuckled. "Nice try."

"Not again," Sora groaned, kicking his legs helplessly.

Ashley gasped, lifting her arms to cast another spell.

"Tch, oh c'mon." Siefer created a long spike on his tail and flung it straight into her thigh.

Ashley cried in pain, before falling onto the ground.

Kyle retreated a step, making a few quick gestures with his arm. "Still alive huh? I'll take care of that!"

Siefer rippled his fingers. "Will you now?" A magic circle appeared underneath the Dark Wizard's feet, a cluster of spikes shot out of the ground and punctured him in several places.

Sora watched as Kyle also fell to the ground. He tried to loosen the demon's grip on his neck. His adrenaline started to rush.

"Even hungry I'm still Nagata's most powerful creation!" Siefer declared, waving his arm dramatically. "None of you can hope to defeat me!"

"Cactus Coating!" Sora gasped. A row of thin needles covered his entire upper body.

Siefer felt several of them rip into the hand he held Sora with. "Ah!" He jerked his arm away. "You little-"

"Kleets!" Sora covered his right foot in spikes and assaulted his stomach with a powerful kick.

Siefer bent over, a loud "Oof!" escaping his lips. He grabbed onto Sora's leg and hurled him across the room.

Sora landed on all fours, sliding back a few feet. He covered his back and spikes and arched his back. "Needle Spray!" He shot another volley of arrows at his opponent.

"Porcupine Hide!" Siefer bellowed. His hairs all hardened and grew pointy. The projectiles bounced off of him and clattered onto the ground around him. He crouched and chuckled. "You've got potential. But unlike you, I'm a _full_ demon!"

Sora chewed on his lip. How was he supposed to injure him? He zeroed in on the creature's red eyes. That should do it. "Raptor Claws!" He extended his fingernails into claws.

Siefer let out another roar and charged straight at him, raising both of his arms to strike the final blow.

Sora kept his feet planted on the ground, waiting until he grew within ten yards. He then sprang forward, driving his claws into the monster's eyes, piercing straight through them.

Siefer's mouth fell open. His hide morphed back into fur. "Sora, you," he gasped as his life left him. The moment he ceased breathing his skin turned to ash, piling up around his feet. The bones remained standing as though he were still alive.

Sora's claws receded. He stumbled away from the corpse, breathing through his mouth.

Ashley finished nursing her wound and staggered over to him. "You okay?" She sensed a few injuries on him and waved her hand over him. "Healing Wave." A gentle stream of light poured out over him and erased his wounds.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Sora murmured. His gaze returned to Siefer's skeleton.

"Do you think he was telling the truth about being your father?" Ashley asked in a gentle tone.

Sora thought about it. He spun quite a story alright, one that could've been true. But on the other hand, what proof was there? He shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted.

Ashley bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

Sora shook his head. "Don't be." A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I already have a family."

Ashley smirked. "And we're glad to have you."

"I hate to interrupt…" Kyle limped over to him. Scratches and other minor wounds decorated his body. "But I'm going to need some of that healing magic."

Sora laughed at his expense. "He sure did a number on you."

Ashley huffed, blowing a strand of her hair out of her face. "Fine, I guess we owe you for helping us out." She conjured a second Healing Wave to restore the Dark Wizard.

"Much obliged," Kyle replied. He caressed his formerly wounded arm.

Ashley crossed her arms. "Don't get used to it."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Elias clutched his stomach and yelled. His staff fell to the ground next to him with a dull thunk. He blinked a few times. "You, actually defeated them?" he said to himself.

Danghoul smirked. It seemed the rest of the team did their part, now he just needed to do his. He charged at the Necromancer, wrapping the blade of his scythe in shadows. He let out a fierce yell and slashed it across his chest.

Elias only had time to grunt before his life left him. He fell to the ground without another sound. His eyes were still wide with shock.

Danghoul stepped over his body and looked up at the support beam. He stretched out his hand towards it. Shadows wound themselves around it like snakes. He slowly formed a fist, causing the shadows to crush it.

The ceiling trembled, bits and pieces of it broke off and rained down all over the place. Grim nodded his satisfaction; the catacombs would collapse with one more push.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Sora glanced up at the shaking ceiling. He grinned. "I told you they could take of themselves," he said proudly.

Kyle circled the last pillar, searching for weak points. "So they can," he mused. "I wasn't sure how competent the lot of you were after I defeated a four-man team with only one partner to back me up."

Both Angels glowered at him. "Want to give it another shot?" Ashley threatened.

"Not sure if that's the best idea, considering you're now outnumbered," Kyle pointed out, nodding back at the Devil's Advocate minions that he'd rescued on the way.

They were little over a dozen, all huddled by the doorway grumbling to each other about having to work with Angel Wing.

Kyle stopped pacing as he noticed a cracked portion of the beam. He pointed at it. "There, hit that hard enough and the whole thing will break down."

Ashley reluctantly nodded her agreement. "Fists of Light." She surrounded one hand in a bright glimmer and drove it into the stone surface. The portion of it broke off and crumbled onto the ground. The rest of the pillar soon followed.

Another violent quake rocked the underground catacombs. The walls all cracked, and rubble rained down on them from the ceiling. "Yeah, we should probably get out of here," Kyle suggested.

The group fled the catacombs as they came down around them, escaping just in time to see the Devil's Crypt collapse. The ground gave away and buried the old dungeon under a mountain of dirt and rock. Trees toppled all over the place as the terrain shifted. When everything had stopped moving, only a wasteland remained.

Sora cringed at the sight. "You think Captain Vandal will understand?"

"I doubt it," Ashley murmured despondently.

Kyle shook his head. "Such a waste of nature." He sighed. "But, it had to be done."

The Angels both turned to face him.

Kyle glanced at his minions, then back at them. "As easy as this would be." He signaled for his men to start moving. "A deals a deal."

Ashley relaxed her hold on her cane. "Right."

Sora nodded in agreement.

As Kyle turned to leave a tiny spike stuck him in the arm. He winced and glared back at the duo.

Sora stood with his finger pointed at him and a smirk on his face. "Don't think it'll last. Next time we meet, it's game on."

Kyle plucked the thorn from his arm. A light chuckle escaped him. "And I'll be ready for you." He flicked it onto the ground. Without another word he walked away with the rest of his men, leaving the two behind.

.

Back at the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

"Ah, welcome back," Marius said. His tone was cheerful even for him. He waved over Sora and Danghoul. "How did the mission go?"

Sora reluctantly walked over to his desk. "Hey Master Marius." He scratched the back of his head. "The mission was a success, in a way. The truth is when we showed up a third party had taken over and we had to deal with him instead."

Marius nodded. "Mm Hmm, right." His smile vanished. "So at what point did you decide to destroy the forest itself."

"Uh, well, you see." Sora glanced at Grim in the hopes of getting some support but received none.

Marius rubbed his forehead. "Captain Vandal stopped by to tell me that I have to submit a handwritten apology to the Magic Council. According to them, we're the worst thing that's happened to Fiore since Fairy Tail!"

"Thought he was going to cover for us?" Ashley said irritably.

"He was, until you knocked down a forest!" Marius exclaimed.

Sora threw up his hands. "It wasn't our fault! Kyle told us to-"

"Kyle? What Kyle?" Marius asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh you know, the one from Demon Fang," Sora said weakly.

Marius stood up and slammed his hands against his desk. "You worked with a member of Demon Fang!?"

The entire Guild stopped what they were doing and stared at them judgmentally.

Sora again looked to Danghoul, who continued to say nothing. He laughed nervously. "How about we start at the beginning…"

 **Up next: The Floating Castle (Interlude)**


	25. The Floating Castle

**Thank you all for the reviews, they're very much appreciated. This following chapter is an interlude, so it's basically a oneshot with some members from Angel Wing and Demon Fang. It ended up being longer than I originally intended it to be... Which can actually be said for the majority of the previous chapters now that I think about it.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Martyn:  
1: You're welcome.  
2: Don't worry, they won't.  
3: I'm afraid that's not in character for him, or anyone else in the Guild.  
4: Thank you for the info, I might have a flashback at some point in the future, though I'm not entirely sure.**

 **Characters...  
Angel Wing: Emma, Himura, Diana  
Demon Fang: Achak**

June 1 X784

Emma hopped aboard the train right before the doors closed. She let out a brief sigh of relief, the last thing she needed was to wait for the next train. She followed her partner down the aisle. "Wait up!" she called after her.

Himura slowed her pace, glancing back at her. "Are you sure you do not need some help with that?" For their quest, she wore a tight fitted black shirt and gray leggings together with her combat boots and her white ribbon.

Emma adjusted her pack. "Don't worry; I'm fine. Just need a place to sit." She scanned the benches, finding that the majority of the seats were all packed. She searched harder.

Her gaze stopped on a seat occupied by a familiar dark haired woman. She sat by herself, staring out the window with her bright red eyes. She absentmindedly petted a black cat that laid on her lap.

Emma smiled in relief and waved at her. "Diana!" she called. She stumbled over to her.

Diana looked away from the window and up at the pair. Her lips parted slightly in surprise. "Oh, hey Emma, Hime," she greeted indifferently.

Himura pointed at the seat across from her. "May we sit?"

Diana craned her neck, finding that all the other booths were taken. She shrugged. "Be my guest," she consented.

Emma immediately plopped down across from her, setting her pack on the ground between them. "You're a lifesaver," she said jokingly. She rubbed her shoulder. "I don't know how much longer I can lug that thing around."

Himura gently seated herself next to her. "That thing is going to get us a generous reward."

Diana glanced at the pack and lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll bite, what's in the bag?"

Emma nudged the backpack with her foot. "It's an enchanted crest we found in Draycott; we're being paid to bring it to one Murdock's Archives."

"What job are you on?" Hime asked politely.

Diana hesitated, stealing another glance out the window. "I'm also on a job for an Archive. There's a ruin passing by that they want me to grab a few items from."

"A ruin's passing by?" Emma repeated.

Himura smiled sweetly. "Diana, ruins can't move."

"This one can," Diana grumbled. She rubbed Midnight's head. "It's called the Floating Castle. Apparently, it rotates around the sea; about to pass by Fiore. It's usually too high up for anyone to get to. But the cliff around Murdock is just tall enough to reach it."

Himura smiled at large group making their way down the aisle. "That would explain why so many people are going to Murdock."

"Cool," Emma said. She also looked out the window in the hopes of catching a glance of it. "So what items are you after?"

"Mainly books, a few trinkets." Diana brushed a few strands of her red bangs to the side. "And, possibly an Obsidian Key," she admitted.

Emma immediately turned towards her and leaned forward. "Seriously!?"

Diana stared back in annoyance.

Emma blushed. "Sorry, I just didn't expect that," she said in a quieter tone. She sunk in her seat as the people around them all whispered judgmentally.

Hime was also excited at the prospect. "Ez jó! Vajon mit csinál ott!" she said in her native language. "Do you think we could come along! This place sounds so exciting!"

Emma perked back up. "Yeah, can we?"

Diana sighed, she hated situations like this. She crossed her arms and frowned. "No thanks, I'd rather do this on my own."

"Aww," Emma mumbled in disappointment.

Himura sniffled, which escalated into full blown crying. Several other passengers glanced at them in annoyance.

Diana shifted herself uncomfortably. "What are you doing?"

"Miért nem akarja, hogy jöjjön!" Hime cried.

Diana didn't need a translation to know what she was so upset about. She hardened her resolve. "I just said that I wanted to do it alone, no need to be so dramatic."

Himura stared at her with tear filled eyes.

Diana huffed, realizing her options were either to bring them along or endure Hime's whimpering for the next hour and a half. "Fine, you can come. But no crying."

Himura wiped her tears away, sniffling a few times. "Agreed," she consented.

Emma set her hands on her lap and smiled. "Thanks for letting us tag along."

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Diana said dismissively. She crossed her arms and stared back out the window. She thought about the mission ahead of them. What kind of mysteries did this castle hold?

.

Outside Murdock…

.

"The Floating Castle eh?" Kodama asked rhetorically. He sat in the middle of a Demon Fang outside, listening to a report. He folded his hands. "Fascinating."

Achak stood at the other side of his desk, his hands in his pockets. He was dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt with a skull on it, a long-sleeve black jacket, black pants, and camo combat boots. A golden V-shaped necklace with a blue gem in the middle hung around his neck, seeming to emit an unearthly power. "It's a primitive structure based on a pathetic Celestial Spirit. I don't see what's so interesting about it."

Kodama narrowed his eyes. "Don't confuse old with primitive boy. That structure is bound to contain books on ancient magic; I shouldn't need to explain to you why that would be useful."

Achak just sneered.

"Which is exactly why you're going inside," Kodama said. "Find whatever information on lost magic that you can, and bring it back to me."

Achak sighed, but stood up straight and walked to the door nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, opening the door wide. "Don't worry; I'll take of everything."

.

Elsewhere…

.

A large crowd had assembled around the cliffs to the east of Murdock. Merchant stands, tents, and carnival games were set up as everyone waited for the appearance of the Floating Castle. Among the confusion a trio of Celestial Wizard's had perched themselves on the edge of the longest edge of the cliffs to wait for it. They'd gone in after collecting a sizeable reward from Emma and Hime's job.

Diana tightened her side ponytail, her gaze fixed on the horizon. She could already make out the shape of it out in the distance. She glanced back at her companions, finding only one of them standing behind her. "Where'd Emma run off to?"

Hime pointed over at the festival. "She has joined in one of the dances."

Diana noticed a group of people dancing from the corner of her eye. She quickly spotted the raven haired Celestial Wizard as she gracefully spun and twirled to the music. She had to admit; she was pretty good.

Himura folded her hands behind her. "Soo…"

Diana didn't answer. She reached down and scooped up Midnight, rubbing her head.

"You like cats, huh?" Hime asked, trying to spark a conversation.

"Mm-hmm," Diana mumbled.

Himura chewed on her lip. "I, see you use Olympian Spirits."

"Yep," Diana answered.

A minute of awkward silence followed, broken by the timely arrival of Emma. Hime almost sighed in relief but stifled it at the last second. "Hello Emily!" she greeted.

Emma waved her response. She sat down on the ground and panted.

"See you had fun," Diana commented.

Emma laughed wearily. "Yeah, the music here is great." She set her backpack down next to her and laid down.

Himura's stomach rumbled loudly. But she smiled as though nothing happened. "I am going to go buy some lunch, would either of you like something?"

Emma shook her head. "Nah, Marcus always packs me something." She huffed. "And he'll get all mad if I don't eat it."

"That is sweet of him," Hime said.

Emma frowned. "It is not!"

Hime giggled. "What about you Diana?"

The eldest Celestial Wizard also shook her head. "No thanks, I brought something along."

Himura nodded. "As you wish." She turned and strolled over to the snack stands.

Emma reached into her bag and dug out a paper bag, setting it in front of her and opening it.

Diana pulled her crumpled up bag out from her jacket. She frowned, unfolding it and pulling out a messy sandwich. Half of the ingredients had fallen out, and those that remained were barely identifiable. Not even she wanted to eat it, and she was the one who made it.

"Dang it Marcus!" Emma exclaimed. She glared at her yogurt. "He gave me sour foods again."

"What a shame," Diana muttered sarcastically.

Emma crossed her arms and sulked. "Maybe I can trade this for something better."

"I can trade with you," Diana said immediately, holding out her sandwich. She looked away. "I mean, if you hate it that much."

"Uh." Emma stared at the unappetizing mess in front of her. She grabbed her yogurt and put on a fake smile. "On second thought, maybe I should give this another try…"

Hime rejoined them with her own meal. Soon a giant island hovered into view, flying two hundred yards above the ground. Grass and trees still covered it, surrounding an imposing castle built of stone. It stood at the height of six stories tall with three mighty towers and a sturdy gate.

"Man, that is so cool," Emma whispered to herself. She took note of the three-yard gap in between them and the edge. "So how are we going to get in?"

Diana took a few steps back and crouched down. "We jump," she said plainly.

"Seriously? But, what if we miss?" Emma asked doubtfully.

"At this height?" Diana shrugged. "You'd probably die."

Emma laughed nervously. "That was a joke, right?"

"Not really," Diana answered. She waited for the island to pass in front of them and sprinted forward, leaping off of the cliff and onto the platform.

Himura managed to grab onto the edge and pull herself up.

Emma picked up her backpack and threw it across ahead of her. "Re-quip!" She summoned her staff and ran forward, jabbing the tip of her weapon into the ground, using it to vault herself across. She landed face first on the grass, earning her a mouthful of dirt.

Diana nudged her with her foot. "You alright?"

Emma stood up, spitting out the dirt. "Yeah, I'm feeling great," she grumbled, brushing the grass off her pants. She retrieved her bag and followed the others to the main gate.

Hime set her hands on one of the doors and pushed it open.

Inside was a large chamber filled with various shrines and tapestries. In the middle of the room stood a statue of a woman with long hair, she carried a long bow with a tiara on her head and four fairy wings.

The trio walked further into the room. "This place looks like a temple," Himura pointed out. She stopped in front of a particularly beautiful display.

"It is," Diana replied. She nodded at the statue. "To Titania the Fairy Queen."

Emma admired the sculpture. "Evergreen would be so jealous." She smirked at the thought. Her gaze wandered over to a lever on the side of the wall, six and a half feet high. The corners of her lips tugged down. "Hold on a second…"

She reached up for it but came up short, litterally. She attempted a dainty hop that allowed her fingertips to brush against the bottom of it. She let out a huff as she prepared to try again.

Diana sighed. "Here, let me," she said, grabbing the petite girl by the shoulder and pulling her back. She grabbed the lever and pulled it down, resulting in a loud click.

Emma's cheeks grew hot. She crossed her arms and frowned. It wasn't her fault she still hadn't hit her growth spurt! It'd happen one day, she hoped…

A section of the wall slowly slid open to reveal a long narrow passage leading deeper into the temple, lit up by hovering orbs of blue energy. Down the corridor was long flight of stairs leading upwards.

Hime peered around the wall. "Wow, this is quite the castle."

Emma walked past her, admiring the area herself. "I wonder where Titania's key is? And if it has another monster guarding it like the one in Aphrodite's Temple," she wondered aloud.

"There was a monster in Aphrodite's Temple?" Himura asked in surprise.

"Not important," Diana answered bluntly. She vaguely heard footsteps coming from behind them. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing. She bit her lip. Either she was getting paranoid, or she heard someone coming in.

"Be careful Emma!" Himura called.

Diana returned her attention to her companions. Emma had pulled far ahead of them, almost reaching the stairs. "Watch out for traps!" she warned her.

"I know!" Emma called back to them.

Diana stole another glance back at the door, but still didn't notice anything. Must've been nothing after all.

Emma pointed at a tile in front of the staircase. "Watch out for that one; I think it's one of the traps."

Hime walked around it. "Thank you for the warning," she said politely.

"Anytime." Emma reached the middle of the stairs before her partners even reached the first step.

Diana stepped over the tile entirely without breaking her stride. "You're going to have to slow down."

Emma let out a sigh but waited nonetheless. "We're in an ancient castle that nobody's set foot in for hundreds of years, forgive me if I'm a little eager," she said sarcastically.

Diana considered retorting when a loud bang caught all three girl's attention. Each of them looked back the way they came to see the door had been shut behind them, and in front of it stood an eighteen-year-old man standing at the height of 5'8.

"Who is that?" Hime whispered.

"I don't like the look of him," Emma said uncertainly. She took another step up the stairs.

The man had short, spiky black hair and blood red eyes. His body had an athletic build to it. He walked closer to them, sneering as he caught sight of their keys. "A trio of Celestial wizards? Guess it's my lucky day." He reached up to adjust his pendant, exposing the Demon Fang emblem on the back of his right in black.

"Great," Diana murmured. She signaled for her partners to back up the stairs. "Which one are you supposed to be?"

"The names Achak, S-class mage of Demon Fang," the man introduced himself. He narrowed his eyes at the blood red Angel Wing mark on the woman's upper right arm. "So, you're the Guild that's been pissing off the higher ups? I thought you'd be a little more intimidating."

Emma moved her hand closer to her keys, a slight shiver running through her. If this guy was on the same level as Danghoul and Koan, he must be bad news.

Diana crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to pick up a few books," Achak replied, drawing closer to them. He clenched a fist. "Killing you is an unexpected pleasure." His pendant began to glow.

Emma noticed him closing in on the booby-trapped tile. She covered her mouth with her hand in a vain attempt to stifle her laughter.

Achak noticed her and leered. "What are you laughing about?" He stepped on the tile, immediately causing a set of iron bars to shoot down from the ceiling and slam into the ground in front of him, separating him from the angels. Soon after a volley of darts sprayed out of the walls on each side of him. He was forced to jump back to avoid being hit.

Diana smirked for a moment but quickly wiped it away. "That won't hold him for long. We should keep moving." She nudged the wall with her elbow. "We need a wider area to use our magic."

Emma nodded. "You bet."

Achak watched the trio disappear up the stairs. He pressed his hand against his amulet, his muscles tensing. "Celestial cowards, you won't escape me," he growled. He poured more magic into the necklace.

Meanwhile, the three women traveled deeper into the Floating Castle, passing through several long hallways and dodging more traps. The passages started to broaden the further in they went.

Emma came to an abrupt stop and huffed. "Just great." The path had led them straight into a dead end. A nearby window was shattered, letting in a cluster of vines that now infested the corridor.

Diana scrunched her eyebrows. "That doesn't make sense; this is the only direction we could've gone."

Himura looked up, a slight smile crossing her face. "Not the only one." She pointed up.

Emma followed her gaze up to the ceiling, seeing a rusted metal hatch hanging open. "Nice catch," she complimented.

"Thank you," Hime said proudly.

A loud crash sounded the way they just came. Emma turned around to see that another, much larger hatch had just opened. Out of each dropped a large boulder that started to roll in their direction. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," she mumbled.

Himura backed away. "They put a death ball in their own temple!" she exclaimed hysterically.

Emma glanced at her companions.

"They were pretty serious about keeping out thieves like us," Diana answered in her normal tone of voice. She removed her key ring from her red, silver studded belt.

Emma groaned. "I told you before! It's not stealing if they all died years ago!"

"Whatever," Diana replied. She casually searched her ring.

Emma rolled her eyes. "What spirit are you looking for anyways?" she wondered. Her earlier frustration vanished in an instant, replaced by excitement. "Is it Ares? Or maybe Hephaestus?"

Diana shook her head. She finally took one of the transparent objects and held it aloft. "Open! Gate of The natural goddess of the Harvest! Demeter!" A green circle appeared at the tip of her key.

Demeter sprang forth, her wavy green hair waving all over the place. She had brown eyes and wore a baby-blue Greek dress. "Hello Dia," she greeted with a small wave.

Emma's shoulders slumped, they were so doomed.

Diana nodded at the hatch. "I need you to get all of us up there. Can you do that."

"Of course," Demeter said. She raised her arms into X formation. "By the way, how are my orchids coming along?"

"Oh, they're doing great," Diana's voice cracked slightly. She averted her eyes. "Really great."

Emma smirked.

"Good to hear," Demeter said. She closed her eyes, taking control of the vines around them. She wrapped them around each of the girl's waists.

Emma glanced at the vine uncertainly. "What are you doing?" Before the goddess could reply, she found herself lifted off of the ground and carried up through the hatch.

"This feels so strange!" Hime exclaimed.

Emma nodded her agreement. She noticed Diana handling everything as stoically as she always did. How many times did she have to do this before?

Demeter jumped up after them. The sound of the boulder crashing into the wall erupted below. "That takes care of that." She wiggled a finger.

The vines released, roughly depositing the girls onto the ground. Emma sat up, rubbing her scalp. "Ow, a little warning next time," she muttered.

Hime sat up and stared, her eyes starting to water.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "You agreed not to cry!"

Hime wiped her eyes with her sleeve, turning away from the others. "Nem sírok, jól vagyok!"

Emma twirled one of her ponytails around her index finger. This sure got awkward fast…

"Can't you stop her?" Diana asked hopefully.

"Why should I? You're the one who made her cry," Emma retorted.

"Azt mondta, nem sírok!" Hime exclaimed.

Demeter cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'll take that as my cue to leave." She folded her hands behind her. "I'll be back for my flowers in a week."

Diana visibly stiffened at the second statement. "Yeah, sure thing."

Demeter smiled and disappeared in a soft flash of golden light.

Emma broke down and laughed. "You totally killed her flowers, didn't you?"

"None of your business," Diana said sternly. She stood up and dusted herself off.

Emma rose to her feet. "Just tell her, she seems nice enough."

"Just wait until she finds out about her orchids," Diana grumbled. She shivered at the image. She took her mind off it by studying the passage in front of them. "Let's keep moving, don't want Achak catching up to us."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Emma agreed. "Let's go, Hime!"

Himura's crying slowly ceased. She stood up and followed the others. "Sorry about that," she said. A pink tint covered her cheeks.

Emma waved her hand. "Forget about it." She smiled mischievously. "Besides, I'm sure Diana will cry too when Demeter finds out about her flowers."

Diana stopped and glared back at them. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Emma exclaimed.

Diana relaxed and looked back ahead of her. "That's what I thought."

Emma shuddered. She was seriously scary when she got angry. Made her wonder how terrifying Demeter must be. Her mind began to wander, picturing a cross between Morrigan and Dragon. She made a face; that was an entirely different kind of scary.

The group came to an abrupt halt as the hallway let them out in a massive room shaped like a circle. The roof was built like a dome with a hole that cast a single beam of light down on top of a white pedestal, where an Obsidian key was perched.

Emma pointed at it and grinned. "There it is!" Her excitement faded. "But uh, how do we get to it?" The pedestal stood on a floating platform; that was surrounded on all sides by a bottomless pit. A strong wind pushed up from above and flowed out through the hole in the ceiling. The only other door was on the right side of the room with a rope bridge of questionable strength leading over to it.

Hime scratched the back of her head. "That is, not an easy question to answer."

Emma peered over the edge. The wind blew her ponytails all over the place, she pulled back and frowned. "Ugh, quite the breeze." She straightened her hair again. She did a quick scan of the room for any switch or lever to no avail. But she did notice faded writing on the side of the pedestal. "Can anyone make that out?"

Hime leaned forward and squinted. "I, think it says 'faith,'" she reported.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, well that clears things up."

Diana's gaze strayed over to the other doorway. When she squinted, she could vaguely see an old bookshelf. "You two stay here, I'll grab the books." She started walking away before either of her companions could try and debate.

"Hey!" Emma removed her backpack. "Use this to carry them." She tossed it over to her.

Diana caught it with one arm. "Oh, thanks," she said grudgingly. "Yell if you need me." She carefully proceeded across the rope bridge, reaching her destination without incident.

Emma turned back to the key. "Okay, now how do we get over there?"

Hime set a hand on her chin. "I am not so certain there is a way."

"C'mon, there has to be!" Emma exclaimed, somewhat desperately. "They wouldn't set up all those traps for an object you can't even reach! Right?"

Himura set a hand on her key ring. "I have a spirit who can fly. Should I summon him?"

Emma picked up a rock and tossed it into the chasm. The winds sent it spiraling upwards until it struck a support pillar and broke into pieces. She winced. "No, he'd get creamed if he went against that current."

Hime threw up her hands. "How else are we supposed to get the key!?"

"It's simple; you won't."

Both girls whirled around at the sound of a new voice.

Achak stepped into the room behind them, looking thoroughly pissed. "I'm going to destroy both it and you." His muscles visibly tensed in anticipation.

Emma bit her lip; this just got a lot worse…

Hime drew her pistol and aimed it at his head. "Stay back! I am warning you!"

Achak took another step towards them and sneered.

Himura squeezed the trigger, shooting a bright purple bolt from the barrel of her gun.

Achak tilted his head to the side, allowing the bullet to pass by his ear and hit the wall behind him. "You'll need a lot more than that toy to defeat me." He pressed his hand against his amulet and closed his eyes. "Now behold! Rise from the depths and clear the sky, Aqueous the Serpent!" A sea blue energy poured out of his pendant and formed a ten-foot-long blue Sea-Serpent, light blue lines ran down her back until it met the tail, which was shaped like a droplet with the water symbol on it.

Hime lowered her gun. "You use Celestial magic too?"

Achak laughed. "This is no pitiful Celestial magic." He stretched out his hand. "Come Aqueous!"

"Assss you command," the serpent hissed. She wrapped herself around his arm until her head reached his shoulder. The rest of her body transformed into energy and enveloped the dark mage. When the glow receded, Achak was clad in dark blue armor from the neck down. Aqueous' head was still on his shoulder, and a long blue cape hung on his back with the water symbol on it.

Emma's lips parted slightly. "Whoa."

Achak raised his hand overhead. "This is the power of Spirit Guardian Magic!" He summoned a blue trident to his hand.

"Re-quip!" A warm glow covered Emma as she changed into a purple sleeveless kimono with a black V down to her stomach and back up, she wore a black belt that held her keys in her pouch. She also wore a tight fitting leggings that were an even darker shade of purple. A pair of crimson red armguards were on her wrists, coupled by a pair of black Plimsoll shoes. "Celestial Gi!"

Hime adjusted the white ribbon hanging around her neck. "S-class or not, you do not stand a chance!"

Emma's staff Gungnir appeared in her right hand. "We're taking you down!"

Achak spun his trident around. "Let's see what you can do children," he said, earning himself a glare from each of his opponents.

Emma let out a yell and charged, spinning her staff overhead before swinging it at his head.

Achak swatted her weapon aside with the back of his armored hand. He tightened his grip on his trident and lunged at her neck.

Emma gracefully spun out of the way and attacked again. Each collision of their weapons triggered a loud clang that echoed across the large room.

Diana hurried out the library, her borrowed backpack now stuffed with books. She noticed the fighters and frowned. "Re-quip, Assassins Blade!" She called her sword to her hand.

Achak noticed her from the corner of his eye and sneered. He shoved Emma back and struck her in the cheek with his gauntlet, knocking her to the floor. He turned towards the rope bridge and raised his trident.

Hime raised her pistol and unloaded on him. Each of the purple bullets ricocheted off his armor and flew all over the place. One grazed her shoulder, causing her to wince and cease fire.

Achak sliced the ropes holding up the bridge, causing it to collapse before Diana could even step on it. He casually turned and aimed his weapon at her. "Trident Nebula!" A blue magic circle appeared at the tip of his spear and unleashed a stream of water upon his opponent.

Hime thrust a hand in front of her. "Pingbi!" She conjured up a transparent shield that the water splashed against full force, sending a spray of droplets flying in every direction.

Diana stopped at the edge of her platform. Just her luck, he comes along as soon as she leaves. But if he thought a puny gap would stop her, he had another thing coming. She removed a key from her ring and held it in front of her. "Open! Gate of The wild goddess of the Hunt! Artemis!"

The goddess appeared next to her in a flash of green light. "Ready to hunt."

Diana nodded at Achak. "Take him down."

Artemis smirked proudly. "You got it." She removed three arrows from her quiver and fitted them to her string, pulling it back to her cheek, before releasing them all at once. Before any could reach their target, the wind blew them into one of the many support beams so hard that they snapped in two.

Artemis lowered her bow and stared despondently. "I, missed?" she asked brokenly.

"The winds a lot stronger than I thought," Diana mused. She turned towards the goddess. "We're going to have to-"

Artemis slumped onto the ground and hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm such a failure," she whimpered, burying her head in her knees.

Diana blinked at her several times, her expression growing annoyed. "It was only one shot! Suck it up!"

Across the room, Emma climbed back to her feet, rubbing her bruised cheek. "Alright, now you're going down." She removed a key from her pouch and held it aloft. "Open! Gate into the nine realms! Appear! Lord of thunder! Thor!" The thunder god appeared with a bright flash.

Thor imbued his hammer with lightning and spun it around overhead. "For Midgard!" He hurled it into Achak's chest, sending him flying into the wall.

Achak let out a brief cry while Aqueous hissed loudly. His armor changed back into energy and traveled back into his amulet. He slumped to the ground and closed his eyes.

Thor stretched out his hand, causing his hammer to fly back to it.

Emma grinned. "Yes! Great job!"

Thor rested his hammer against his shoulder and smirked. "Of course."

Himura approached them, her eyes fixed on their downed opponent. "I would not advise celebrating so early."

Achak's eyes reopened. He jumped back to his feet and grabbed his pendant. "Speeding in the wild, here he comes now, Tigerclaw the Cheetah!" A ray of yellow energy poured out of the object and formed into a cheetah with yellow lines running down his back and paws, a thunderbolt decorated each side of his body.

Emma's grin faltered.

Hime took out one of her Jade keys and lifted it up. "Open, gate of the Rat! Lao Shu!"

A short man with a mischievous expression on his face materialized next to her. He looked 18-year-old in age with messy brown hair and black, beady eyes. He wore a black western suit "Good day Hime," he greeted.

Achak held his hand out to his spirit. "Tigerclaw."

The cheetah growled, before transforming into energy and surrounding his master. He clothed Achak in a bright yellow combat outfit with clawed gauntlets and boots the same color of his skin.

Achak narrowed his eyes, which black circles appeared around. A tail also appeared behind him. He went down on all-fours, yellow electricity wrapping around his claws. "Lightning Flash!" A bright white light flashed, blinding all his opponents. He then sprang forward and unleashed multiple quick punches upon Thor, who let out a surprised yell before fading back into the Nordic realms.

"Thor!" Emma yelled.

Lao Shu clicked his tongue. "You westerners and your brutish spirits. Does the art of guile completely elude you?" he asked condescendingly.

Emma opened her mouth, taking a moment to register what he just said. "Hey! I've got plenty of cunning spirits!"

"By your standards, perhaps," Lao Shu answered.

Emma growled at him.

"Forget that, focus on him!" Hime interrupted, pointing at their opponent.

Achak summoned twin knives to his hand and prepared for a second charge.

Lao Shu folded his hands behind him. "Not a problem." He disappeared from sight just as the dark wizard ran up.

Achak paused and took a quick look around. "Where the heck did you-"

"Go?" Lao Shu finished, reappearing behind him. He formed a fist and punched Achak in his exposed face, before once again turning invisible.

Achak narrowed his eyes. He zeroed in on Hime. If he couldn't take down the spirit, he'd just have to take down the wizard. He dashed at her, drawing his knife back to strike.

"Jieguan!" Himura cried, taking on her spirits magic. She also vanished from sight.

Achak ended up slicing air instead. His eye twitched. "Annoying little cowards," he growled, keeping himself on guard.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Lao Shu taunted as appeared on his right side. He delivered a sharp kick to his opponent's gut before he could even react to his presence.

Achak bent over and groaned. He tightened his grip on his knives and swiped at the spirit's neck, missing as the rat jumped away and vanished.

Hime appeared twenty paces away and shot him three times in the back.

Achak whirled around but by the time he did, she was gone.

Lao Shu popped up to deliver two hard blows to his face. He hopped away from the counterattack. "Ooh, I felt a breeze on that one." He turned invisible yet again.

Emma watched the scene unfold from the sidelines. If only she could take on her spirits magic too… She poured her energy into her weapon, causing the spiked edges to glow a bright white color. She breathed in deeply and charged at Achak, drawing her weapon back to clobber him.

Her opponent smirked at her advance, crouching down and covering his hands in crackling electricity. "Lighting!"

Lao Shu turned visible behind him and grabbed his arms, holding them back. "I don't think so," he said confidently.

Achak glared back at him. "You little rat." He thrashed around. "I'll kill you for this!"

"I'm immortal, so good luck with that," Lao Shu said calmly.

Emma let out a shout and drove her staff into Achak's exposed belly, resulting in a powerful wave of magic coursing through him.

The dark wizard gagged. A burning feeling passed over him like his insides were on fire. He yelled ferociously, elbowing Lao Shu in the cheek. When the spirits grip loosened, he tore his arms free and slashed at Emma's head.

She let out a brief gasp and ducked. But the knife still cut through her cheek and one of her hair ties. One of her ponytails was immediately undone, causing her hair to spill all over the place.

Achak grabbed Lao Shu by the throat and smashed him into the ground.

"My apologies Hime," the spirit gasped as he faded away.

Hime's invisibility was instantly deactivated.

"There you are," Achak muttered. He noticed Emma approaching him again and took her off her feet with a sweep kick. He then raised his leg and stomped down on her ribs.

Emma cried, losing her grip on Gungnir.

"Emma!" Himura yelled.

"Lightning Flash!" Achak sprinted over to her and hit her with a barrage of lightning infused punches that drove her to the edge of the chasm.

Emma rolled onto her stomach and took up her staff again. With no time to call a spirit, she ran at him.

Achak noticed her from the corner of his eye. He turned and slashed both knives across her lower chest, following it up by grabbing her by the ponytail and tossing her into Himura.

Both girls fell onto the ground in a heap, lying on the very edge of the platform.

Diana took a step forward and clenched her fists.

Achak noticed her and chuckled. "Don't worry; you won't miss them for long." He lifted his weapons overhead to deal a death blow.

Emma pulled herself onto her hands and knees, her heart starting to race. She racked her brain, trying to think of a way to escape. She glanced at the chasm behind her. The word 'faith' on the side of the pedestal caught her eye. She held her hand out over the windy pitfall. "I get it," she murmured.

Achak raised an eyebrow. "What's there to get?"

Emma stood up, facing away from him. "We got to jump."

Hime stared up at her with widened eyes. "Megőrültél, if we do that we'll die!"

Emma grabbed her hand, using it to pull her to her feet. "Same goes for staying here," she said with a shrug.

Achak shook his head. "They wouldn't," he muttered to himself.

Emma released her friend's hand and stepped off the edge.

"This is so insane," Hime murmured. She breathed in and jumped off after her. The moment their feet left the floor, the wind pushed them into the air, gently carrying them forward.

Achak's jaw dropped.

Himura blinked several times. Her surprise morphing into joy. "Eletben vagyunk! Igazad volt!"

Emma didn't fight the current, instead allowing it to carry her across the chasm. She smiled in relief. She turned her attention back to the pedestal as they closed in on it. She landed on the floating platform and stepped up to it.

Hime touched down behind her. "That was a little too close."

Achak allowed Tigerclaw to return to his pendant. "I'm not done yet." He set a hand on his necklace. "Souring through the skies, Watch Out! Wind-Streak the Eagle."

A Bald Eagle appeared next to him, green lines running from the top of his body to the center, with a wind symbol on each wing.

Himura swallowed hard. "You might want to hurry."

Diana unclenched her fists, thinking of an idea. "Artemis, I need you to-" She stopped and groaned.

Artemis still moped around. "I should just crawl into a hole and die."

"Get, over it!" Diana yelled.

Emma grabbed Titania's key and held it out. "Open! Gate of the Fairy Queen!" She waved it, but nothing happened.

Hime furrowed her eyebrows. "miért nem működik, what is wrong with it?"

Emma was about to respond when she felt something warm pressed against her hip. She opened her pouch and peered inside, noticing one of her keys glowing a bright gold color. She took it out and studied it for a moment.

"Which one is that?" Himura asked.

"Oberon, the Fairy King," Emma replied. Her gaze shifted over to the other Obsidian object. She brought the two together, the moment they touched the glow transferred from Oberon's key to Titania's.

A gate appeared in front of them, from which emerged a beautiful woman with long brown hair and soft green eyes. She carried a handcrafted wooden bow in her hand and had four fairy wings on her back. She smiled brightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Titania!" she introduced herself.

Emma set a hand on her chest. "I'm Emily, but you can just call me Emma." She gestured towards her companion. "She's Himura, but everyone calls her Hime."

"Oh really? Are you royalty?" Titania asked.

Hime paused to let that question sink in, before shaking her head. "No, I wish."

Emma was about to continue their conversation when she noticed something floating towards them.

It was Achak; now clothed in a metal chest plate with green shoulder pads and Wing-Streak's wings. He held a bow and arrow in his hands that he was in the process of aiming at them.

"Ah geez," Emma groaned. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared up at Titania pleadingly. "I know we don't have a contract yet, but can you please help us get out of here!"

"Of course," the spirit answered. She wrapped an arm around each girl and extended her wings. "Hold on tight." She launched herself into the air, flying straight up through the skylight, out into the evening sky.

"Whoa," Emma whispered, admiring the view around them. She could see all of Murdock and even a little of Draycott out in the distance.

Achak flew out after them. He positioned himself in front of Titania and took aim. "You're finished!" A lone arrow flew up from below and clipped his left wing, causing him to spiral down and slam against the side of the roof.

Emma glanced down at the balcony where Diana and Artemis now stood.

"I told you I could hit him with one eye closed," Artemis bragged.

"I never said I doubted you," Diana said dryly.

Titania hovered down, gently setting both girls down in front of them.

"Whew, that was close, thanks, guys," Emma said.

"You're welcome," Titania, Diana, and Artemis all said at once.

Himura plopped down on the ground. "I am so done with ruins," she groaned.

Achak recovered from his fall and picked up his bow again.

Titania spun around and fired an arrow of light from her bow, destroying the dark wizard's weapon in one hit. "You're not welcome here; I suggest you leave."

Achak stared at his empty hands for a moment. He sneered at them. "Fine, but you haven't seen the last of me." He leaped off the roof, catching himself with his wings. He soared away from the Floating Castle, back in the direction of Murdock.

Emma wiped the sweat from her brow. "Ugh, there have been way too many close calls today."

"Tell me about it," Hime agreed.

Diana crossed her arms and looked away from them. "I'm, glad you guys made it," she said in as indifferent of a tone as she could.

"We're glad we made it to," Emma answered.

Diana smirked. "Let's head back to Murdock. We still got a job to turn in."

.

Later…

.

Diana finished laying out all the books. "This is everything I found in the library, the rest was stripped bare," she reported.

Mayor Jacot nodded his approval. "Very nice. This should do quite well." He gestured for his assistant to bring the money. "As promised, three million jewel for your trouble."

"And…" Diana said expectantly.

Jacot laughed heartily. "Of course." He opened a small velvet box, taking out an Olympian Glass Key. "Found in Hera's temple, now at your disposal."

Emma hopped up from the bench and hurried over to get a good look at it. "You got an Olympian Key!" she exclaimed.

Diana slipped the object onto her ring. "Yep," she said casually.

An assistant came and set a couple of briefcases on the table.

Himura smiled. "You sure are getting a big payoff for this."

Diana took the two cases but held one out to her teammates. "Here, take one."

"You sure?" Hime asked.

"You almost died fighting an S-class wizard. It's only fair I split the reward," Diana said bluntly.

Himura grabbed the case and bowed her head. "We appreciate it."

Jacot scratched the back of his head. "Speaking of Celestial keys, did you acquire Titania's in your search?"

Emma reached into her pouch. "About that, I was wondering if you'd be willing to sell it to me." She took it out and set it down on the table.

Jacot raised an eyebrow. "This job was more about the books, so I suppose I'd be willing." He set a hand on his chin. "Two million and it's yours."

"Two million?" Emma repeated uncertainly. A determined look crossed her face. "I can do that." She opened her backpack and took out her portion of the payment from their earlier mission and stacked it on the table, followed by half the money in Hime's briefcase and everything in her pockets.

Jacot counted it out but shook his head. "You're about a thousand short."

Emma groaned. Where was she supposed to get a thousand jewel in such short notice? She slowly glanced over at Diana.

The older woman frowned. "What?"

Emma's gaze lowered to the briefcase in her hand.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "No way."

"Just a little? I promise I'll pay you back!" Emma begged.

Diana huffed. She opened her briefcase and grabbed the specified amount of jewel, setting it down on the table.

"Awesome, thank you so much," Emma chirped.

"Whatever," Diana grumbled. She couldn't shake the feeling that she just opened Pandora's Box.

Jacot handed the key back to them. "It's all yours. Thanks for your help today, we'll put all these books to good use."

.

At the Demon Fang outpost…

.

Achak threw open the doors to the outpost and stormed inside, stewing in his anger. A few minor wounds decorated his face and chest, but he had otherwise recovered.

Kyle raised an eyebrow as he passed by him. "You look like hell."

"Can it Aeris," Achak muttered back to him.

Kyle folded his arms behind his head. "That's Master Aeris to you," he said with a slight chuckle.

Achak paused, turning to stare at him quizzically. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"You haven't heard?" Kyle pointed at himself with his thumb. "I've been named the second master of Devil's Advocate."

Achak snorted. "You?"

"That's right," Kyle replied. He stood up straight. "But that's beside the point. I'm here because you're being transferred to the main Guildhall. Something about needing more manpower."

Achak raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

 **Up next: The Eye of Skadi  
**


	26. The Eye of Skadi

**Hello everyone. As you may or may not have noticed, I've deleted the most recent arc. Because, after rereading it, I was rather displeased with my work. So I've decided to write a new version, with the same main characters (Zion and Amelia), and general premise. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Other characters...  
Angel Wing: Morrigan, Zurdun, Kayden, Julie  
Demon Fang: Alderic**

June 8 X784

Amelia sneezed into the sleeve of her black trench coat. She lowered her arm and glowered at the path in front of her. "No matter what mission we go on, we somehow end up in the mountains," she grumbled.

Alderic strolled in front of her, holding a map out in front of him. Another three dozen minions trailed behind them, also dressed for the cold weather. He reached up and adjusted his fedora.

Matsudo had assigned them all a mission to break into an ancient cavern and obtain two particular artifacts, of course, this required them to climb high into the mountains near Whitehorn. A trek that took them nearly four hours to accomplish. Amelia kicked a nearby clump of snow. "How much father is this thing?"

Alderic squinted at his map, slowing to a stop near the top of the path. He turned to the left and resumed his previous pace.

Amelia huffed. Had to be paired with the stoic one, didn't she? She rubbed her hands together in a vain attempt to warm them up. Her mind strayed over to the details of their job, it seemed pretty cut and dry. But when Matsudo gave them the job, he almost sounded anxious.

What on earthland could make him nervous? She set her hand on her chin and lifted the corner of her mouth into a smirk. _"Maybe this job really will be exciting…"_

Alderic abruptly stopped, causing Amelia to bump into him.

She stepped out from behind him and glared. "How about you give me a little warning next time?" she snapped.

Alderic signaled for the rest of the company to halt. "We're here," he said plainly. In front of the group loomed the mouth of a large cave, sealed off by a wall of ice.

Amelia formed a fist and knocked on it a couple times. She took a step back and glanced over at her partner. "You mind?"

Alderic stepped forward and set his hand on the surface of the barrier. Instantly, the ice darkened. He slowly clenched a fist, causing the wall to shatter.

Amelia shielded her face with her arms as the barrier collapsed in front of her, sending snow and ice flying everywhere. She snapped her fingers at the assembled minions. "Search the chamber!"

"Yes ma'am," the leader said with a quick salute. He stood up straight and signaled to the rest of his men.

A group of fire wizards proceeded into the cave, lighting up the dark interior with their magic. The rest followed behind them with various excavation tools in hand.

Amelia sauntered in after them. "This is quite an elaborate operation. Must be something pretty important, wouldn't you say?"

"Hm," Alderic mumbled.

Amelia cocked an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

"No," Alderic replied bluntly.

Amelia set a hand on her hip, smirking again. "Really? Because, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were distracted by something." She tilted her head to the side. "Or should I say, someone."

Alderic walked past her. "We should head deeper into the cave, that's most likely where the artifacts are."

"Ignoring the problem, won't make it go away," Amelia called after him mockingly.

"Don't I know it," Alderic murmured.

The path in front of them widened as they neared the end of the cavern. A large rock sat with a golden torch protruding from it. A short distance behind that was a massive circular imprint on the snow.

Alderic stopped in front of the rock and frowned. "Both artifacts are gone."

Amelia crossed her arms. "Looks like someone beat us here." She noticed a small object on the ground and strolled over to it. She knelt down and snatched it up, revealing a wooden amulet with a black tree in the center. She gritted her teeth. "You can't be serious."

Alderic peered over her shoulder. "Do you know whose emblem that is?"

Amelia painted a smile onto her face and rose to her feet. "I do indeed." She clenched the object tightly in her hand, her voice turning venomous. "It belongs to the Blackwood family. My family."

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

Zion pulled open the door to the back room and peered inside. "Hey, Ayame said that you wanted to see me?"

Marius nodded without looking up from his paperwork. He signed his signature at the bottom of the page and pushed it off to the side. "Yes, I did, there's something I need to discuss with you four."

"You four?" Zion repeated as he stepped inside. It was only after shutting the door that he noticed Marcus, Diana, and Silver all standing in a row.

"Hello," Silver greeted quietly.

"Hey," Zion answered. He scratched the back of his hair and frowned. "No offense, but what are you guys doing here?"

Diana stood against the corner wall with her arms crossed, and head lowered so that her red bangs fell into her face. "How should we know?" she asked dryly. "We've been waiting for you."

Zion chuckled. "Didn't know you all missed me that much, I should've made a dramatic entrance," he said jokingly.

Diana rolled her eyes.

"I didn't even know we were waiting for you," Marcus said. He shrugged casually. "I figured Marius forgot why he called us in."

"Hey! Do you really have that little faith in me?" Marius protested. He glanced up at the ceiling. "Actually, on second thought, don't answer that."

"Yes," Diana replied bluntly.

Marius folded his hands in front of him and frowned. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

Diana closed her eyes. "Whatever."

Marius rubbed his forehead. "Anyways, I called you four here because I have an important announcement for you." He rose to his feet, accidentally knocking his pen onto the ground in the process. "As Angel Wing has only recently been given official status by the Magic Council, our S-class all achieved their rank, either on the job or back in Holy Seraph."

The four exchanged confused looks with each other. Of course, they knew that. They were a part of the Guild after all.

"But, after discussing it with Ayame, I've decided that it's time to hold Angel Wing's first S-class trial," Marius said proudly. He pointed at the group. "And you four, are this year's candidates."

"Seriously?" Zion exclaimed.

Silver set his hand on his chest. "Thank you, it's an honor to be selected."

A wide grin spread across Marcus' face. "Sounds like fun."

Diana opened her eyes and left the sanctuary of the corner to join them by the desk. "When are the trials being held?" she asked with what appeared to be excitement in her voice.

"A week from now, we'll meet in the Guildhall," Marius answered. He set his hands on the desk in front of him and leaned against it. "Before that, however, there's a few ground rules we have to go over. First off, you'll need to select a partner to undergo the trial with you; they'll also help you train in the week leading up to the event. You can pick anyone as long as they're in the Guild, and not one of our S-class."

Zion nodded reluctantly. He didn't know that many people who he could work with, his magic tended to be too hot for most of the Guild. So he didn't know who to select for his partner.

"Aside from that, just know that the details of the trial will remain a secret until it's held," Marius warned them. He smirked. "And if anyone tries to snoop for more information, they answer to Ayame."

All four shuddered at the very thought.

Marius sat back down on his chair. "Now, it's best you head out and find your partners before they set out on jobs. I wish you all good luck."

"The S-class trials huh?" Zion mused as he and the others filed out of the office. "Sucks for the rest of you, because I'm the first member of this Guild! There's no way I'm letting anyone get promoted ahead of me."

Silver wandered off without retorting, deep in thought.

Marcus scoffed at his claim. "Oh yeah? So what about them?" He nodded at a table where Grim and Koan both sat.

"Hey, they got promoted on the job, that's completely different!" Zion insisted. He mentally sorted through a list of people he'd worked with before. "I got to go, see you at the S-class trials!" He hurried off towards the job request board.

Emma glanced up from her meal. "Did he just say S-class?"

Marcus walked over to her table and pointed at himself with his thumb. "That's right, your big bro is going to be Angel Wing's next S-class wizard!" he said confidently.

Emma shrugged. "Eh, my money's on Zion."

Marcus lowered his arm and rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Em," he said sarcastically.

Emma returned her attention to her muffin, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Aw, don't worry, I'm sure you'll get second place."

Marcus frowned at her. "Second best? Is that what you think of me?"

"Pretty much," Diana said as she walked by.

Marcus blinked a few times. "No one asked you!" he called after her.

"Whatever."

Emma covered her mouth with her hands in a vain attempt to stifle her laughter. She forced herself to stop completely as her brother turned back to her.

Marcus frowned, little traitor. He snatched her plate away and walked off towards the bar with it.

Emma jumped to her feet. "Hey! You can't do that!"

"Sure I can! After all, I'd be such a bad brother if let you eat something so unhealthy for breakfast," Marcus said in fake horror. He signaled for her to sit down. "Now wait there and I'll get you something else."

Emma reluctantly sat back down and pouted.

Marcus approached the bar, eating whatever remained of the muffin himself. He set the empty plate down and began cooking the sourest meal he could think up.

"Hello Marcus," Raik greeted casually. He was in the process of preparing a peach crumble for himself.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "You know, Marius made me the chef to keep other people out of the kitchen."

"I'm aware, it just tastes so much better when I make it myself," Raik responded condescendingly.

Marcus glowered at him. "You insulting my cooking?"

Raik waved his arm. "Oh, not at all. I'm sure you're very good at making other people's meals," he said in the same tone as before.

Marcus forced a smile. "That's good to hear because I'm going to be a little busy training for the S-class trials to cook for the next week."

Raik raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? In that case, you should start training right away; you'll need all the help you can get."

Marcus' eye twitched. He carried on with his cooking, trying his best to ignore the comment. He paused for a moment, an idea dawning on him. "You going on a job today?"

Raik sat down on a barstool. "Perhaps, I'm thinking about taking one of the A-class quests. I'm in the mood for a challenge."

Marcus smirked. "If you're so good, then I've got a different challenge for you." He set a hand on his chest. "Be my partner for the exams, if we do well enough, you might be nominated for next year."

Raik set a hand on his chin, the corners of his lips bending up into a slight smile. "I can get behind that, as long as you don't mind having someone else do most of the work."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Oh, we'll see who does the most work."

.

In the Angel Wing library…

.

Upstairs, in Silver's second home, the wizard stood by the shelves, scanning the titles of each book. He selected a couple of them and walked over to one of the reading tables. He took a seat and cracked open the first of them. He didn't quite know what to think about being named a candidate. On one hand, it was an honor, on the other, he wasn't quite sure how long he'd be sticking around…

In any case, he'd need a partner. He did a quick scan of the library, his gaze stopping on Javael as he searched for a book. The only member that no one in the Guild knew anything about. He'd worked with him at the Asylum, along with Ashley of course. Perhaps he'd be a good choice.

Javael noticed him and cautiously approached him. "Hello, Silver." He pointed at the chair next to him. "You mind?"

Silver shook his head. "Not at all."

Javael pulled the chair back and took a seat without saying anything else. He opened his book to the first page. For the next fifteen minutes, the two sat in companionable silence, each reading a different book.

Silver finally lowered his for a moment. "By the way, I've been nominated for this year's S-class trial."

Jav peered up from his book. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Silver replied. He turned his attention back to his novel. Another ten minutes of silence passed.

Javael cleared his throat. "When's the trial being held?"

Silver turned to the next page without answering.

Javael rolled his eyes, turning back to his book. Five more minutes passed, again, neither wizard spoke one word to the other.

At the end of the chapter, Silver glanced up from his novel. "By the way, I was wondering; would you be willing to assist me in the trial?" he asked politely.

Javael flipped the next page. "Hm, I suppose," he said reluctantly.

"Great," Silver said, turning back to his book. The two once again fell silent.

.

In the Angel Wing garden…

.

Luna sat on a large rock next to one her most prominent flowerbeds. On her lap laid a tiny ragdoll kitten she'd given the name of Cecily. She rubbed the small felines head as she read the epilogue of her novel. Upon reading the last line, she shut the book and sighed happily.

"So you liked the book?"

Luna dropped the novel and wiped the joy off her face. "Of course not!" she exclaimed, directing a glare at the entrance.

Diana stepped inside, holding Midnight in her arms. She didn't even react to the gardener's alarm.

Luna relaxed. "Oh, it's just you."

Diana raised an eyebrow at the comment but didn't respond to it. She sat down on a rock about a yard away from hers, gingerly placing Midnight on the ground next to her and letting her run off.

Cecily hopped off of Luna's lap and scampered after her.

Diana reached down and picked up the book, raising an eyebrow at the title. "I wouldn't have taken you for the kind of girl that reads fairy tales," she commented, handing the novel back to her.

Luna's cheeks colored. "I don't read them that often," she murmured in embarrassment. "It's just that…" She sighed. "Forget about it."

Diana nodded.

"Congrats on being nominated, by the way," Luna said, watching their two cats roam around with suppressed adoration. "Have you picked a partner yet?"

"No, not yet." A slight shudder passed over Diana. "I've been a little distracted."

Luna glanced up at her quizzically. "Is this about you killing Demeter's orchids?"

Diana stiffened. How could she have known? She recovered and aimed a fierce glare at the gardener. "Emma told you about that!?" she hissed.

"Technically, she told Julie, who, ten drinks later, told everyone else," Luna explained with a smirk. "Something about finally discovering what the great Diana fears."

"Oh, I'll show them fear," Diana growled as she rose to her feet. She glanced down at the other woman and cleared her throat. "Anyways, you, want to be my partner?"

Luna shrugged. "Sure, when do you want to start training?"

"In an hour or so," Diana answered. She stood up and sighed. "First, I have to buy some new orchids."

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Hey Zurdun," Zion waved at the rock wizard as he walked past.

Zurdun slowed down long enough to return the gesture. "Zion," he said plainly. "Heard you got selected for S-class, quite an accomplishment."

Zion leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Thanks, it'll be one heck of trial for sure." He glanced at the flier in the other wizard's hand. "You heading out on a job?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, the Blackwood's are throwing another of their big parties, starting this night," Zurdun explained. He folded the flier in half and stuffed it into his pocket. "Their paying big money for security."

Zion's smile wilted. "Ah, yes." He heaved a sigh. "They live for the spotlight, don't they?"

"Twenty-four seven," Zurdun agreed. He looked down at him and furrowed his eyebrows. "You feeling okay?"

Zion sat up straight and put on another smile. "Yeah! Of course! Be careful on your job."

"I doubt much will happen," Zurdun said with a shrug. "But thanks. Good luck with the training." He walked off in the direction of the door.

Zion stared out the window, watching the sun set in the distance. His regular cheerfulness vanished, replaced with gloominess. He folded his arms in front of him. _"I wonder if they even remember me? It's been years."_ He closed his eyes. _"Hope no one else is suffering like I did."_

He heard a slight creak coming from in front of him and opened his eyes, finding Julie sitting across from him, mimicking his pose and expression. The corner of his lips bent down into a frown.

Julie did the same.

Zion snickered. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" Julie retorted. She leaned back, putting her feet up on the table. "You're usually a lot less gloomy than this."

"What? Can't a guy have a moment of drama?" Zion asked jokingly.

Julie folded her arms behind her head. "We already got a ton of that around here. Like, every single week. A few days ago we almost lost two members to an S-class wizard from Demon Fang." She grinned. "Speaking of which…"

Zion smiled without knowing. "I'm sorry, but I can't pick you."

Julie cocked her head innocently. "I wasn't talking about me; I was talking about Morrigan." She nodded back at the rest of her team. All of whom sat at one of the tables in the corner.

Zion peered around her, shuddering at the sight of Morrigan brooding in the corner.

"I think she's upset that she didn't get nominated," Julie commented. She set her feet back on the ground and leaned forward. "And between you and me, I'm worried she's going to take it out on us during our next training session."

Zion rested his elbow on the table. "So tell Raik to pair up with her, he'll listen to you." He smirked. "Along with every other woman in the Guild."

Julie made a face. "I can't Marcus asked him to be his partner." She folded her hands in front of her and rested her chin on top of them. "Besides, if you want to get strong fast, she's the woman for the job. Though it might require you to spend a week in hell."

"That's a pretty tough sell you're attempting there," Zion chuckled.

"Cut me some slack, she's a nightmare to train with!" Julie exclaimed. She let out a breath. "But I guess we do owe her for pushing us so hard…"

"I can't tell if you're complimenting her or not."

"Neither can I."

Zion suppressed another chuckle. In all seriousness, Morrigan might be strict, but that could be an advantage, at least for training. Plus, she could resist heat better than most of the Guild. He stood up and smirked. "Somehow, you've convinced me."

Julie rested her elbow on the arm of her chair. "What can I say? I'm that charismatic."

Zion rolled his eyes as he walked over to the table in the corner, where the rest of female portion of Team Julie were sitting.

Morrigan brooded in the shadows, furiously carving a piece of wood into what appeared to be a skull. Without her bandana to tie it up, her wild maroon hair spilled in front of her face. A plate of cookies sat on the table, which she occasionally grabbed a piece of.

Kayden sat across from her, squirming in her seat while tapping her foot against the wooden floor over and over again.

"Would you cut that out!" Morrigan snapped.

Kayden stopped her foot. "Sorry." She hung her head and pouted. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Zion's approach and perked back up. "Hey Zion! Congratulations on being nominated for the trial, I can't wait to see how it turns out!"

Zion raised an eyebrow at the excitable girl. "Thanks, I'm looking forward to it too."

Morrigan grumbled something under her breath.

Kayden folded her hands behind her. "Don't be a sore loser, not that you can really be called a loser since you were never nominated, but you know what I mean."

Morrigan narrowed her eyes. "What did you call me?" she growled, crushing her wood carving in her fist.

Kayden froze. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" she said quickly, leaning as far away from her as she could. Unfortunately leaning a little too far, causing her chair to fall onto the floor with a loud bang.

"Such grace, such elegance!" Zion said in hammy acting voice.

Morrigan snorted, a tiny smile crossing her face. But she quickly wiped it off before anyone could notice.

Kayden sat up, rubbing her head. "Oww," she moaned, frowning at the amusement of the other wizards. "Are all God Slayers such sadists?"

"Only the good ones," Zion replied, sliding into the chair next to Morrigan.

Kayden huffed. "Jerks." She climbed back to her feet and dusted herself off. "I'm going home, see you tomorrow."

Morrigan sat up straight and set down her carving knife. She nodded curtly at her new companion. "Hello Zion, not to be rude, but what are you doing here?" She picked up another cookie and bit into it.

Zion shrugged innocently. "Do I need a reason to visit my favorite demigoddess?"

Morrigan closed her eyes. "I was born of two humans, so technically I'm not a demigoddess." Her lips bent into a frown. "And if I were one, I'd be the only one you knew." She took a second bite of her snack.

"Point taken." Zion relaxed in his chair. "I came here because I wanted to ask you to be my partner in the S-class examination."

Morrigan paused in the middle of chewing. Her eyes gold eyes gleamed deviously. But she put on another frown. "You approached me solely to ask for a favor?"

"Not at all." Zion snapped his fingers and grinned boyishly. "Also because I like looking at you."

"Not interested," Morrigan said bluntly.

Zion put on a fake look of hurt. "You're a cruel woman."

"I get that a lot."

Zion laughed at he reached for one of the cookies. "I bet you do."

Morrigan snatched up her carving knife and stabbed in into the table in front of his hand. "Hands off my cookies!" she yelled, rising to her feet.

Most of the Guild stopped what they were doing to stare at them.

Pink stained Morrigan's cheeks. She sat back down in her chair and folded her arms. "It's rude to stare, weren't you ever taught manners?"

"Weren't you ever taught to share?" Zion retorted.

Morrigan glared at him. "On the topic of manners, it's also rude to steal."

Zion raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey! We're partners now, the least you could do was share a few cookies with me."

Morrigan's anger softened into confusion. "I never agreed to help you."

"Then why'd you look so excited when I asked you to join me?"

"I wasn't excited!" Morrigan protested.

Zion stood up and glanced out the window. "We only got a few hours left to train. We better get started."

"I didn't agree to this!"

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

Dragon studied the medallion in front of him. "The Blackwood's?" he mused. "Now why would a noble family take a magical artifact?" He tossed the amulet back to his wizards.

Amelia snatched it out of the air as it came near. "The fools probably plan on selling it for a quick profit," she grumbled, shutting her eyes. "How they managed to find it; I have no idea."

Dragon set a hand on his chin. "What of the flame? Surely they wouldn't have bothered with that. Did you bring it along?"

Alderic and Amelia glanced at each other quizzically. "Are you referring to the golden torch?" Alderic asked.

Dragon nodded. "The one lit by a blue flame."

Alderic scratched the side of his head. "We found the torch, but it must've burned out years ago."

Dragon's eyes widened beneath his hood. "What!?" He rose up from his chair and paced over to the window. "Noble fools! Do they have any idea what they've done!" He slammed his fist into the nearest wall, punching a hole straight through it.

Amelia grimaced, great, now he was pissed. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry master, but what exactly are these things?"

Dragon took a deep breath. "The artifact you were looking for is known as the Eye of Skadi. It's a crystal that's capable of unleashing an eternal winter on the entirety of Fiore."

"I see the issue. But what would the Blackwood's gain by doing so?" Alderic asked.

Dragon crossed his arms. "It's not them who'll activate the Eye. It's the flame."

"Um, master? It's a torch," Amelia said dryly.

Alderic elbowed her in the side.

Dragon slowly shook his head. "There is magic in this world far beyond your meager understanding, girl," he said condescendingly. "As it stands, that flame coupled with the Eye are among the only things in Fiore capable of stopping us."

Amelia furrowed her eyebrows. "And now it's in the hands of socialites?"

Dragon sneered. "See the problem yet?"

"If the Blackwood's truly took this object, it'll be in their mansion," Alderic chimed in.

Dragon chuckled under his breath. "Then we'll just have to take it from them." He turned around and pointed at him. "Alderic, head down to Mathias, tell him to place fifty wizards under your command. Retrieve the Eye of Skadi, and kill the Blackwood's."

Amelia paused at the last statement. Kill her family? She raised the corner of her mouth into a smirk. Like he read her mind.

Alderic raised an eyebrow. "Kill them? A little brutish for us, don't you think?"

"If even one of them learns the truth about the Eye, all our work will be undone," Dragon retorted. He strolled back over to his chair and took a seat. "Use whatever approach you prefer, but make sure that the mission is accomplished."

Amelia stepped forward and set her hand on her chest. "I volunteer as the first member of this team."

Dragon leaned back and cocked an eyebrow. "Offering to kill your own family? Now why would you want to do that?"

Amelia smiled sweetly. "Personal business."

Dragon rolled his eyes. "Very well, you may accompany Alderic." He rotated his chair so he was facing away from them. He waved his hand at them. "Dismissed."

.

At the Draycott Park…

.

Zion wiped the sweat off his brow, frowning at the puddle of magma in front of him. "It was so close to working too." He took a step back and looked up at his partner. "One more time?"

Morrigan stood a few yards away, doing her best to disguise her exhaustion. She raised her fists and nodded her consent.

Zion took a deep breath, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Magma God's Wrath!" A spout of lava shot out of the ground behind him and molded into a tall demon.

Morrigan calmly lifted an arm in front of her. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She destroyed the demons head with a well-aimed sphere of crimson energy.

Zion gritted his teeth, feeling his conjuration start to collapse. He attempted to reform the head but ended up losing concentration on the rest of the demon, causing the entire thing to collapse into a puddle of black liquid. "Ah crap," Zion muttered.

Morrigan set a hand on her hip. "You're distracted by something," she stated plainly.

"Is it that obvious?" Zion asked.

Morrigan closed her eyes. "Distractions are fatal on the battlefield. Whatever this is, you need to put it out of your mind."

"You make it sound so simple," Zion mused. He looked out over the distant sea. The sun had long since set, and the full moon had risen in its place, illuminating the city. "It's getting pretty late; we should head back to the dorms."

"I suppose so."

Zion started to leave but stopped abruptly before reaching the path.

A young woman stood in his way, clad in tight-fitting white robes with a black snowflake imprinted on the front and back, matching her dark hair that fell down to her mid-back in length. A pale metal mask covered her face, leaving only her icy blue eyes visible. "Are you Zion Fox?" she asked, her voice muffled by her mask.

"Uh, yeah, that's me." Zion took a step back.

Morrigan eyed strange woman suspiciously. "And just who are you?"

"My name… Well, your guess is as good as mine," the woman said with a shrug. "If you must you may refer to me as Winter."

"Right, it's a real pleasure," Zion said sarcastically. He peered around her, seeing the Guildhall looming in the distance. "You here to join Angel Wing? If so you better hurry, Master Marius will probably be turning in soon."

"Oh, I'm not here for him," Winter replied. She pointed her finger at him. "I'm here for you."

"Re-quip," Morrigan whispered. Her sword Clarent materialized in her right hand.

Zion laughed nervously. "Why? You a secret admirer?"

Winter closed her eyes and shook her head. "Not necessarily." Icy black mists surfaced around her hands, and the path in front of her froze over. Extending from the cobblestone to the grass and trees. Everything was covered in a sheet of black ice.

Zion backpedaled, shielding his face with his arm. "What the heck is this?"

Winter folded her arms in front of her. "The Blackwood's send their regards. And look forward to your return." She flexed her index finger, creating a magic circle in the shape of a lotus in the air behind her. "Ice God's Sacred Ray!"


	27. Three Gods, one slave

**Thank you for the feedback. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter. As usual, any comments or criticisms are welcome.**

June 8 X784

Zion ducked under the incoming beam, allowing it to pass overhead and freeze tree behind him. He glanced back at the tree and cringed. One hit from that thing would leave half his body frozen over. He looked back ahead just in time to see Winter move again.

This time, she covered her arm in magic and slammed it onto the ground in front of her. "Ice God's Quake!" The ground in front of her split open as large spikes of ice shot out from underneath, sending both her opponents flying into the air.

Zion grunted at the impact. He twisted himself around in midair, landing on his feet. He engulfed his arm in lava and thrust it into the air. "Magma God's Sadness!" He shot a stream of lava into the air where it broke into pieces and rained down on his opponent.

Winter clapped her hands together. "Ice God's Sepulcher!" A dome of ice encased her, halting the rain before it could break through.

Zion's temperature rose sharply. Now she was starting to annoy him. He formed a disc in between his hands. "Magma God's Sin!" He threw it at her with all his strength. It smashed through the barrier but failed to hit Winter as she spun out of the way.

"War God's!"

Zion saw his partner make ready from the corner of his eye and stepped out of the way.

"Bellow!" Morrigan unleashed a crimson tornado from her mouth, striking Winter square in the chest and sending her flying through several trees until she crashed into a metal bench.

Zion whistled. "That ought to do it." He relaxed his guard. "Nice work."

Morrigan rested the flat of her blade against her armored shoulder, a proud grin spreading on her face. "It was nothing."

Zion strolled over to their downed opponent, kneeling to get a good look at her. "Now, let's see who this is." He reached out for her mask.

A crack appeared across the surface, causing him to pause. It spread throughout her entire body until it shattered into a pile of ice.

Zion's eyes widened. "It was a clone!"

"What?" Morrigan whirled around and raised her sword.

Winter's body reformed from the rubble of her Sepulcher, she proceeded to surround her arms in frost. "Ice God's Arrow Barrage!" She brought her hands together, pelting the duo with a volley of icicles.

Zion barely retained his balance. Most of his body had been covered in scratches from the attack, but none had gone too deep. He formed a lump of lava on his right hand. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He tossed it at her, managing to connect with her chest.

Winter recoiled slightly, a small grunt escaping her lips.

"War God's Shock Leg!" Morrigan ignited her feet in energy and rocketed past him, drawing back her arm and clenching a fist. "War God's Crushing Fist!"

Winter narrowed her eyes. "Ice God's Sacred Ray!" Three Magic Circles appeared in the air around her and fired beams of ice.

Morrigan evaded the first two, but the third caught her on the foot, freezing it over. She let out a short yell as she lost control and hit a tree.

Winter spun around and breathed in. "Ice God's Bellow!" She hit Morrigan in the stomach with the breath attack, freezing her to the tree so only her head was free.

Morrigan gritted her teeth, apparently attempting to struggle. "I'm going to make you pay for this!" She grimaced as the cold seeped through her armor.

"I'm sure you will," Winter said mockingly. She pointed at her and fired a final bolt of ice, freezing Morrigan's mouth shut. She turned around just in time to see Zion charging her.

"Magma God's Hatred!" Zion surrounded his fist in fire and slammed it against her mask, following it up by punching her in the gut with his free hand. He lifted his leg and covered it in lava as well. "Magma God's Rage!" He aimed a kick at her head, but she ducked underneath at the last second.

Winter jumped back and extended an arm. "Ice God's Scepter!" A long double-sided spear materialized in her hand. She twirled it overhead and thrust it at him.

Zion sidestepped and knocked the next strike off course with a well-placed kick. He dodged the second attack, falling back a few steps. He panted, feeling his stomach start to grow cold. Most of his energy was spent during his training session with Morrigan. He couldn't keep fighting for long.

Winter twirled her staff overhead, letting out a yell as she brought it down on his head.

Zion kicked the head of the spear as it came near, breaking it into pieces, showing both fighters in flakes of ice.

Winter cringed and averted her gaze.

"Now's my chance!" Zion charged at her and swung his leg at her head.

Winter spun her scepter around and blocked with the intact side of her weapon. "Nice try," she said smugly. She lifted her leg and covered it in a spiky layer of ice. "Ice God's Holy Heel!" She assaulted his stomach with a powerful kick.

Zion gagged as pain flooded his senses. He flew back nearly fifteen yards, rolling to a stop at the base of a tall tree.

Winter tossed the remnants of her spear aside and began to saunter over to him.

Zion gritted his teeth, forcing his way onto his hands and knees. Now his entire body was covered in bruises. He climbed onto his feet and breathed in.

Winter folded her hands behind her, slowing to a stop before reaching him. "I do love it when my prey struggles." She giggled at his angry expression. "It makes the kill so much more satisfying."

Zion's temperature started to rise. "Who even are you! One the Blackwood's little lackeys?" He channeled the last of his magic upwards, preparing for his final spell.

Winter shrugged, and he could've sworn she was grinning beneath her mask. "An interested third party," she said vaguely. "One who would like to see you returned to your rightful position."

Steam emitted from Zion's body as his rage grew. "My rightful place? Screw that! I'm never going back! Even if I have to burn you to ash!" He breathed in as deeply as he could, his cheeks puffing up.

Winter laughed loudly. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, human."

"Magma God's Bellow!" Zion released all of his magic into his breath attack, exhaling a river of magma from his mouth.

Winter raised both hands in front of her and conjured up a magic circle about twice the size of herself. "Ice God's Blizzard!" A tornado of ice and snow blasted out of the circle, clashing with the magma in an explosion of steam.

The two remained deadlocked for several seconds, but slowly the ice overcame the lava until it reached Zion, hitting him straight on and freezing his upper body. He grunted, collapsing to his knees as the pain set in.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. After all, nobody can defy their fate. Least of all a slave like you," Winter said casually, closing the distance between them. Crouching down and reached out to grab him.

"Shut up!" Zion forced himself to his feet and punched her straight in the face, knocking off her mask.

Winter stumbled backward, covering a large burn on her otherwise attractive face. Her icy blue eyes narrowed. "Little pest." She pointed at him with her free hand. "Ice God's Sacred Ray!"

Zion's eyes widened as he took in her appearance. "What are you doing here?" he whispered a moment before the spell hit him, freezing the rest of his body solid.

Winter bent down and grabbed her mask, putting it back on. "How annoying." She bent down and grabbed the frozen wizard, hoisting him over her shoulders. At least she'd accomplished her mission.

Morrigan struggled to free herself from the ice, screaming something unintelligible into her makeshift gag.

"I suppose I should kill you now, I can't have you running off to your Guild," Winter mused. She set Zion down next to her and clapped her hands in front of her. "Ice God's Scepter." She created a second spear, setting the tip of it at her targets throat.

Morrigan poured her energy into the ice confining her, causing the entire thing to shatter. She swatted the spear aside with the back of her hand and clenched a fist. "War God's Crushing Fist!" She recklessly swung her arm at her.

Winter casually stepped to the side, allowing Morrigan to stumble past. She proceeded to deliver a sharp kick to her back, knocking her onto her stomach. "What a desperate attempt." She raised her spear and zeroed in on the back of her opponent's heart.

"Stop right there!"

Morrigan lifted her head, seeing a group of wizards led by Marius running towards them. She glanced over her shoulder, only to find Winter gone, along with Zion. She pounded her fist into the grass next to her. "Dang it!"

"Everyone search the area!" Marius instructed.

Julie knelt down next to Morrigan and poked her on the forehead. "Hey, you're not dead, are you?"

"Do I look dead to you!" Morrigan snapped.

"Yep, you're all right." Julie extended her hand to her.

Morrigan grabbed ahold, using it to help herself stand. "How'd you know we'd be out here?"

"With the amount of racket you were making, I'm guessing the whole city knows," Julie said dryly. She set a hand on her hip. "Master got scared and decided to check it out."

"He had good reason to be." Morrigan dusted her armor off, doing a quick scan of their surroundings. "Zion was abducted."

"What? By who?" Marius questioned. He stopped what he was doing and approached them.

Morrigan heaved a sigh. "I have no idea." She crossed her arms. "She called herself 'Winter' of all things. And said something about the Blackwood's."

Julie wrinkled her nose. "What, those socialites? Why would they abduct Zion?"

"I know why, and if I'm right, he may be in danger." Marius' expression hardened. He turned away from them. "Julie, go get Kayden and meet us at the Guildhall. I got a new mission for you."

"Right," Julie said with a nod. "Any chance this mission involves going to town on the Blackwood's."

Marius chuckled. "Something like that."

Morrigan followed after him, her anger growing. "They had another God Slayer working for them." She bit her lip. "She defeated both of us."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, you must've been tired from training."

Morrigan grunted her reply. Thinking back, she recalled something, for a moment Zion had seemed to recognize their attacker. Yet, according to her, she didn't even remember her name. "Was she one of the Blackwood's? If so, why would they risk coming themselves? Why not send servants?" She shook her head. "Doesn't matter who she is, I'm going to make her pay for this."

.

Outside the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

Amelia analyzed each of the wizards around them, fifty in all. Each dressed differently from the other, the only thing that linked them together were their Demon Fang Guild marks. She shrugged her consent, they'd serve her purpose well enough. She sat down on the grass and took out one of her dolls, one with a short strand of black hair sticking out of it.

"Scry," she whispered, her eyes turning white. For a moment she saw through Alderic's eyes, finding him standing in the midst of the nearby forest. She smirked at what else she saw. A slight giggle escaped from her lips.

"What are snickering about?" one of the wizards grunted.

"Oh, nothing." Amelia's eyes returned to their usual black color. "Alderic should be here soon."

"How the heck do you know that?"

A rustling came from the bushes to their right. Out of which Alderic emerged and approached the group, nodding at a few of them as he passed. He stopped near Amelia. "Is everyone here."

Amelia shrugged. "As far as I know." She opened up her magic space and stored her doll away. "Maybe you'd know too if you weren't busy fraternizing."

Alderic narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean by that."

"You tell me," Amelia retorted.

Alderic stared at her a moment longer, before turning away. "It's time to get moving. Once we arrive, I'll lead a team inside to complete the mission. You'll remain the rest in case something goes wrong."

Amelia frowned, that would hardly be satisfying. "And why, pray tell, do I have to sit on the sidelines?"

Alderic began to walk away. "Because I doubt your ability to put your personal feelings aside. I don't know why you hate your parents, and I don't care, but I won't let you endanger our mission."

Amelia scoffed. "Like you're one to talk, lover boy."

Alderic halted and spun around, grabbing her by the arm. "Enough, no more playing around," he said in an icy cold tone. His expression hardened into a scowl. "Tell me what you know."

Amelia didn't bat an eyelash. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase." She smirked in her signature, smug fashion. "I know about her."

Alderic visibly stiffened at her words.

Amelia shrugged innocently. "She's pretty; I'll give you that. Does she know you're a part of a Guild of psychopaths?"

"Yes," Alderic muttered through gritted teeth.

"Oh really?" Amelia asked rhetorically. "She's a real keeper then."

Alderic closed his eyes and sighed. "You've made your point. You can join the primary team." His scowl returned with twice the fury. "But if you ever attempt to blackmail me with her again, you won't live to report it to anyone."

Amelia managed to stop herself from shivering. "Fine, you help me, and I'll forget about ever seeing your little girlfriend."

Alderic released her and turned away.

Amelia let out a breath. She reached into her coat pocket, wrapping her hand around her oldest doll. Her jaw clenched as brief flashes from her past filled her mind. Soon she'd have her vengeance, very soon.

.

In Draycott…

.

Kayden positioned herself in front of her training dummy, lifting her leg in front of her. She inhaled deeply, before hopping in the air and kicking it in the chest, sending it flying into the air in the direction of the entrance.

At that moment Julie shoved open the door, her eyes widening as she noticed the incoming object. "Absolute Velocity!" She launched the training dummy back the direction it came, hitting Kayden head on and pinning her to the wall.

"Can't, move," Kayden groaned.

"Oh, sorry!" Julie waved her hand, releasing her spell.

Kayden and the dummy collapsed onto the floor in a heap. "Ugh." She rose to her hands and knees. "What are you doing here Julie? And why didn't you knock!"

Julie shut the door with her foot. "We're friends, I don't need to." She did a quick scan of the apartment room, whistling her approval. "Nice place you got here. Is there any booze?"

Kayden's eye twitched. "You can show yourself out now."

"Can't do that, master sent me to get you."

Kayden stood up and frowned. "Why would he do that?"

Julie spun around to face the door. "I'll explain it all on the way. But we should probably hurry before Morrigan gets impatient."

Kayden furrowed her eyebrows. "Morrigan? But I thought she was training with Zion."

"Yeah, a lot has happened since then."

The girls trip went by in a blur, with Julie rapidly explaining what little she knew to Kayden. Soon they arrived back at the Guildhall. Marius stood at the entrance, nodding at them as they stepped inside. "Good, everyone's here." He pushed the door shut. "Because, We've got our work cut out for us."

While Kayden opted to pace around the room, Julie joined Morrigan at the closest table. "You said you had an idea why the Blackwood's would attack Zion, care to share it?"

Marius heaved a sigh. "I had no idea they'd ever act on it. But yes, I know the reason. Any of you happen to remember hearing about a fire that burned down a mansion near Whitehorn?"

"Vaguely," Julie answered with a shrug.

"That was Zion," Marius said plainly.

Kayden stopped her pacing and stared at him quizzically. "Are you serious? Why the heck would he do that!?"

"That's where this gets a little complicated." Marius took a deep breath before beginning his explanation. "Several years ago, when the cult of Zeref was on their rampage, wiping out villages throughout the countryside, Zion's own home was attacked and destroyed by this menace. He escaped, only to be captured by a group of roaming slavers and sold to the Blackwood family."

The small group fell silent as his tale unfolded. "I see, so he burned down their mansion to escape," Morrigan guessed.

"Precisely, though I doubt he intended to cause so much damage. In the end, the Blackwood's daughter was reported dead, and their manor was reduced to ash. Zion himself fled the scene and managed to survive on the streets for years after," Marius explained. He set a hand on his chest. "He later ran into me, and the rest is history."

Kayden bowed her head sadly. "So they came back for him?"

"Probably after revenge," Julie murmured in a surprisingly sad tone.

Morrigan smashed her fist against the table, causing everyone else to jump. "Unacceptable, we can't let them get away with this!"

Marius gestured for her to calm down. "I agree, which is why we're taking the fight to them. You three will break into the Blackwood Manor and rescue Zion during their little party. From there, I want you to find evidence of any illegal activities they might be involved in so we can expose them."

Morrigan nodded. "We'll take care of it."

"How do know there's evidence?" Julie asked.

Marius shrugged. "I don't know for sure. But I doubt they got their fortune off of legitimate enterprise. And if there's any proof, it'll be in their Manor. Though be warned, they'll keep it under guard."

Kayden resumed her pacing. "So how are we supposed to get inside? I mean it's not like this party is an open invite, is it?"

Marius nodded at the job board. "Lucky for us, they sent out a request for additional security during their big party. Zurdun's already taken this job if you hurry you can catch him before he reports in, and the four of you can approach the Blackwood's together. As long as you pretend you're there for the job, they'll let you walk right in."

"Right, so we infiltrate the manor, rescue Zion, find incriminating evidence, and slip out before they notice us," Julie summarized.

Kayden rolled her eyes. "You say that like it's so normal."

"For us, it pretty much is."

Marius cracked a smile. "Just be careful. All of this feels a little off to me. There might be more to this than meets the eye."

Julie waved her arm. "Don't worry! We'll be careful."

.

Elsewhere…

.

Zion groaned, his consciousness slowly returning to him. He forced his eyes open, finding himself suspended by chains in a dark chamber. "What the-" He glanced at the walls, all of each were made of a white crystal substance. The rest of the room was shaped a sphere, filled with icy cold winds that churned around him, all emitting from above him, where, hanging on nothing, was a large sapphire, glowing dimly in the otherwise unlit room.

Zion's eyes slowly widened. "Where the heck am I?"


	28. The Blackwood Manor

**Hello again everyone, thank you as always, for your feedback. This chapter was delayed due to some family drama. But I'm back now, sorry for taking so long with my past few updates. I tend to change my mind quite often when it comes to these arcs, which leads to (sometimes multiple) rewrites and edits. I hope that they improve the story in the long run. In any case, hope you enjoy this installment. Any feedback is welcome.**

June 8 X784

In the outskirts of the city of Crocus stands a large mansion, built nearly two hundred years ago as a gift to the royal family. It has since fallen into the hands of the Blackwood noble family. Purchased after the fire burned down their original estate.

It stood at the height of three stories, with a layer of glass serving as a ceiling for a significant portion of the triangular shaped structure. The building itself was built with dark gray stone, allegedly strong enough to resist a barrage from military cannons. Famous people from all over Fiore gathered there for yet another of the Blackwood's big parties.

Zurdun took a seat across from his employer, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch. "I hear you're looking to hire some security."

Lord Randal Blackwood rested on an expensive leather couch a couple yards away from him. In many aspects, he appeared to be an ordinary man, with short blood red hair and light, slightly pale skin. He wore expensive red clothing with a black tree emblem on the chest and a matching cape that hung from his shoulders.

"Yes, our last party was crashed by some jokers from a Dark Guild," Randal explained, chuckling at the memory. "Fairy Tail arrived to help. But in typical fashion, they ended up leveling the mansion."

Zurdun snorted. "Sounds like them."

Randal folded his arms behind his head. "So what Guild are you from? I don't see a mark on you." He zeroed in on the dragon tattoo that covered Zurdun's right arm. "Unless that's it."

"Nah, just a tattoo. My Guild marks on my back," Zurdun answered, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. "I'm from Angel Wing."

Randal's face lit up for a moment. "Of course! The ones from Draycott. You've protected many of my investments up there, both intentionally and unintentionally." He suddenly frowned. "Though you also destroyed one of my docks last week."

Zurdun shifted himself uncomfortably. "I wasn't on that job."

"Of course you weren't," Randal replied. He peered around the wizard. "Are you the only one, or did you bring a team with you?"

Zurdun smirked at the thought. The only time he ever went on a job with a team was when Marius forced him to. He opened his mouth to speak when the door behind him flew open with a bang.

"Zurdun!" Julie yelled, darting over to him by using her "Speed Force" spell. She panted heavily, setting a hand on her chest. "Oi, give me a second."

Zurdun stared at her blankly. Months in Angel Wing and he still didn't know what to expect from its members.

Randal laughed heartily. "I suppose that answers that question." He rose to his feet and gave her a slight bow in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you."

Julie blinked at him. "Uh, nice to meet you too," she said awkwardly.

Zurdun frowned. "What are you doing-"

"Meeting up with you of course," Julie interrupted, plopping down next to him. "The rest of the team will be here soon."

Zurdun furrowed his eyebrows. This was weird, even for Julie. There had to be something more going on here. "Oh, right," he grumbled. "I remember now."

"You're so forgetful!" Julie said, playfully shoving him on the arm.

Zurdun rolled his eyes. Her performance was starting to pain him. He cleared his throat. "Anyways, yes, I've brought a team with me for this mission. Is that a problem?"

Randal shook his head and smiled. "The more, the merrier. I'm certainly not going to complain about having additional security." He folded his hands behind him, bowing his head, so a few strands of hair fell in front of his face. "You never know what might happen."

Julie's usually sweet smile went sour. "Uh huh, I'm sure," she said sarcastically.

Zurdun shook his head. First, she all but forced herself onto the mission, next she acts rude to his client. He refrained from leering at her.

Randal had no visible reaction to her remark. Instead, he straightened himself up again and turned away from them. "Allow me to show you around. I'm sure my servants will take care of your friends until you come back."

Zurdun rose to his feet and shrugged. "If it'll help with the job."

Julie stayed quiet, shooting the nobleman many unsavory looks from behind her large companion.

"excellent, right this way." Lord Blackwood led them out of the lounge and onto a long balcony that overlooked the main auditorium. Hundreds of well-dressed guests were already present, some eating, some dancing and some talking. Overhead loomed a massive crystal ball, just beneath the glass ceiling.

Zurdun whistled at the sight. "Quite the diamond you have there," he commented. The outside of the crystal was a light turquoise color, while in the center was a dark sapphire. An impressive sight for anyone.

"Isn't it? We received it a few days ago as a gift from a friend," Randal said fondly, admiring it as he walked by.

Zurdun raised an eyebrow. "That's one heck a gift."

"Indeed!" Randal laughed cheerfully. He swept his hand out over the rest of the auditorium. "You and your team have permission to roam this balcony and the room below at will. But keep out of any other rooms, and make sure nobody wanders into them either."

"Sounds simple enough," Zurdun said.

"If this event goes by without incident, you'll earn your pay," Randal continued. He folded his hands behind him. "Any questions?"

Zurdun glanced at his partner, who also remained silent.

"Marvelous, if you think of any, let me know," Lord Blackwood concluded. He slipped his hands into his pockets and strolled away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to host."

Zurdun glanced at his partner as she failed to suppress yet another glare. He sighed drearily. "Care to explain what's going on? What's your problem with him? And does it relate to why you're hijacking my mission?"

Julie set a hand on her hip. "I'm not hijacking, Master Marius told me to come here."

"Why? Am I being punished?" Zurdun asked.

Julie rolled her eyes. "No, we're on a rescue mission. Some weirdo showed up back home and kidnapped Zion. She said she was working for the Blackwood's."

"Seriously?" Zurdun asked doubtfully. He glanced at Randal as he disappeared down the stairs. "He doesn't seem like a nefarious kidnapper to me."

Julie shrugged. "That's not what Marius says."

Zurdun sighed. Just once he'd like to go on a regular mission. "Alright, I get it." He scratched the back of his head. "But this still doesn't make any sense to me."

Julie slapped him on the arm. "It doesn't have to. Let's go meet up with the others."

Back the way they came, inside the lounge, they found the rest of their team sitting uncomfortably amidst the wealthy guests. Kayden seemed to be on the verge of getting up and running around. Held in place only by the stern looks Morrigan kept shooting her way.

Julie slid into the seat in between them, folding her arms behind her head. "Enjoying your stay so far?"

Kayden squirmed in her seat, glancing at a nearby woman wearing a skimpy formal dress. "Honestly I can't tell if I feel underdressed or overdressed."

"Don't pay attention to the guests, focus on the mission," Morrigan scolded.

"We're sitting on a couch in the middle of a lounge, what aspect of the mission am I supposed to be thinking of?" Kayden shot back.

Zurdun rolled his eyes. Team of the year. "Anyways, would someone care to fill me in?" He took a seat across from the women. "Make it quick too, we sit in place too long, and we're fired."

Kayden's eyes lit up. "Right!" She immediately launched into a detailed yet somehow quick summary of everything that'd happened (Including Julie barging into her apartment, for some reason). Ending by going over what Marius told them to do.

Zurdun paused to let the information sink in. "I see, wasn't expecting that." He rubbed his forehead. So much for an easy job. "This still doesn't make any sense."

Julie groaned. "What's so hard to understand about it?"

"For one, if the Blackwood's gave an order to kidnap a wizard from our Guild, why the heck would they let us take their job request? Especially when you barged in out of nowhere, looking like you'd run from Draycott to Crocus."

"Technically I only started running at the halfway point," Julie interjected.

"Good for you," Zurdun said dismissively. "Secondly, if the Blackwood's sent an assassin to capture Zion, you really think they'd have her announce who her employers were before she attacked?"

Morrigan crossed her arms. "They are egomaniacs."

"Fair point," Zurdun conceded. "But I still think we're barking up the wrong tree."

Kayden lost her patience and hopped to her feet. "We can figure this out later! For now, we should do what Marius said and expose the-"

Julie clasped a hand over her mouth before she could finish her sentence. "Mind not announcing our goal in the middle of our targets estate?"

"I suppose you're right, Master Marius wouldn't send us here if we didn't have good reason to suspect them," Zurdun said reluctantly. He also stood up. "Morrigan and I will wander around, pretending to do our job. While you two search the basement."

Kayden nodded, pushing Julie's arm down. "Got it, we'll head into the basement and-!"

Morrigan covered Kayden's mouth with her gauntlet, sighing in exasperation. "Are we going to have to gag you?"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Amelia sized up the mansion in front of them. Sturdily built, in the heart of Crocus, with over three dozen guards. Any direct attack would be a waste of time and resources, she closed her eyes. Good thing they had her with them.

She heard someone take a seat on the right side of the bench. "You need something boss man?" a male asked in a raspy voice. Which she recognized as belonging to one of the wizards under Alderic's command. Speaking of whom. She opened an eye.

Alderic stood a few yards away, his gaze fixed on the manor. "What's the status on the rest of our men?"

"All stationed around the perimeter, ready to attack the moment you give the order," the other wizard replied casually, folding his arms behind his head. "That is when you're done with this stupid infiltration idea."

Amelia sighed. Such simpletons, how on earthland could they have gotten even their current ranking? "No, the truly stupid idea would be to throw ourselves at the manor like a bunch of savage barbarians. My plan is much better."

Alderic glanced over his shoulder. "We'll see," he muttered uncertainly.

"What? You mad about having to wear the monkey suit?" the wizard asked, laughing loudly at his own remark.

Amelia huffed in annoyance. "It's the practical choice." She herself now wore a very skimpy black dress, with scattered blood red splotches decorating the fabric. Her regular formal attire. She smirked in her typical fashion. Now they could sneak right in through the side entrance without anyone noticing.

Alderic crossed his arms, scanning her from head to toe. He shrugged. "It'll do."

Amelia's smirk fell. "Was that an insult?"

Alderic returned his attention to the mansion. "If there's really any danger of them activating the Eye, we should quickly." He was wearing a white shirt with rolled sleeves and a blue vest, coupled with blue pants, black shoes, and a gray fedora.

Amelia huffed. "Fine." She walked past him. "Follow me."

Alderic watched her carefully. "Be ready to attack when I give the signal," he said to the other wizard.

"Sure, sure, we'll be ready," he replied dismissively. "Just make it quick. I'm getting bored already."

Alderic rolled his eyes and followed Amelia across the street.

"Re-quip," Amelia whispered, summoning one of her dolls to her hand. "Scry." Her eyes changed to green, allowing her to see through the eyes of one of Demon Fang's wizards. Giving her a birds-eye view of the manor yard. She slowed down, seeing a guard watching from one of the windows. She held out her arm to stop Alderic as he came up behind her. "Wait, the changing of the guard should come soon."

Thirty seconds ticked past, soon the guard yawned sleepily. A moment later he turned around and slowly walked off.

Amelia deactivated her spell and hurried across the courtyard, zeroing in on a small side door, almost concealed by overgrown bushes. A rusty padlock sealed the door shut. She leaned against the wall next to it and nodded. "You mind?"

Alderic sighed in annoyance. He set his hand on the padlock, causing it to freeze over. He brought his other fist down and smashed it into pieces. The door slid open with a loud creak, revealing an old storage room.

Amelia slipped inside, running straight into a cobweb. She swatted it away irritably. The few crates that were around were covered in a thick layer of dust. Clearly no one had gone into that room in years.

Alderic stepped in after her, shoving the door shut with his foot. "Now to find the Eye."

"Shouldn't be hard, it's too big for them to hide effectively," Amelia said dismissively. She pushed open the door at the end of the room, leading them out into a short passage to the auditorium, glancing up at the ceiling. "We should check the basement, or maybe their-" She trailed off and gawked.

Above them loomed the Eye of Skadi itself, hanging from the ceiling above all the party goers. Even Alderic stared in disbelief at the sight.

Amelia cackled, a pained grin on her face. "The power of a god and they're using it, as a set piece." It was almost too absurd to be true.

Alderic grabbed her by the arm. "Forget that, we need to find a way to destroy this, thing, without being cornered by the Rune Knights, military." He glanced at the balcony, where a large man stood talking to a vaguely familiar woman. "Or whoever your parents hired as security."

Amelia jerked her arm free. "Tch, so concerned about the numbers." She tapped the side of her head. "We have intelligence on our side, destroying the Eye will be simple."

"It'd better be," Alderic grumbled.

Amelia folded her hands in front of her and analyzed their surroundings, her gaze stopping on a small door at the end of the room. "First step, is to subdue Lady Blackwood."

"Subdue her?" Alderic repeated. He glanced at her suspiciously. "I thought you wanted her dead."

Amelia's expression turned sour. "Oh, I do. But first, we're going to use her." She did a quick scan of the assembled guests but found no sign of her mother. "In the meantime, you can make yourself useful by scoping out their security."

"Fine," Alderic deadpanned. He turned away from her and walked off. "Inform me of any developments."

Amelia didn't bother responding. She returned her attention to the esteemed guests of the Blackwood's, eyeing their fancy jewelry. She'd never been so close to so much finery without being able to steal any of it. She huffed in annoyance and stepped into the crowd. No one paid her much attention, the few who did look her way passed her by without so much as a second glance. Allowing her to slip by without being confronted. She emerged at the far side of the room and took a deep breath. To think she was almost raised as a party girl, almost made her glad about what happened.

She put on a fake smile and acted casual as she resumed her scan of the area. One guard, a particularly lazy soul, kept watch from the balcony. Though she doubted they'd have much to fear from him. Her gaze shifted down to a large 'butler' who walked like a veteran, clearly another guard in disguise. _"Not as much security as I was expecting. They must be keeping most of them on reserve."_

A final group of guards were posted in front of a door not far from her, each carrying a halberd and wearing light armor. They were far more alert than the others, and obviously had better training. Amelia nodded. If her mother was anywhere, she'd be behind that door. She summoned a doll to her hand. Now, she just needed to draw them away.

She casually reached up and plucked a hair from an oblivious guest, sticking it into her doll. She distanced herself from him by two long steps, keeping her same fake smile painted on her face.

Her target continued to talk away with exaggerated hand motions, laughing obnoxiously at his own jokes. Poor fool had no idea what was going on.

Amelia folded her hands behind her back and began to manipulate her doll.

Her target suddenly formed a fist and punched his conversation partner across the room. "Huh? What's going on here?" He twisted around against his will and took down another guest with a quick kick to the gut.

The crowd broke into a panic and backed away from him. The 'butler' hurried around and put the man into a bear hug.

Amelia put a hand over her mouth and gasped, while continuing to manipulate him with her doll.

The guest broke free of the guards grip and took with down with a few punches to the face. "I can't control myself! Somebody stop me!"

Amelia glanced at the other guards, who remained fixed in place. She frowned. _"Stubborn oafs."_ She wiped her frown away and ran over to them, pointing at the scene with her free hand. "Aren't you going to stop him!"

The sentry's glanced at each other, then back at the disturbance. Both marched forward to confront the guest as he continued to brawl with whoever came near him.

Amelia waited until they were a safe distance away, before shoving open the door and slipping through. Once inside, she kicked the door shut behind her and exhaled. Luckily for her, no one would ever suspect Witching Hour magic. They'd think that one of their guests simply went mad. She smirked at the thought as she checked out the room.

Now she'd entered a living room, complete with leather furniture and a fire place, which even had a Lacrima screen hanging over it. She plucked the hair out of her doll and flicked it onto the ground. _"The bedroom can't be far from here."_ The thought sent a shiver running through her. Whether from anxiety or eagerness, she didn't know.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Magma God's Bellow!" Zion hammered his restraints with a breath attack. After a few seconds, he stopped and panted. Despite a direct hit, he hadn't inflicted any damage. He gritted his teeth. "Ah, c'mon! What's this stuff made of!"

His hardened his resolve and took another deep breath. His magic was still low, but he couldn't waste time waiting for it to return. "Magma God's Bellow!" He unleashed a second spell, weaker than the first, but still failed to free himself.

"You're really not that bright, are you?"

Zion stiffened at the sound. He craned his neck to see Winter herself standing behind him. He swallowed. "Where did you take me? What is this place?"

Winter leaned against the chamber wall and closed her eyes. "Inside the Eye of Skadi." She folded her arms. "Needless to say, you're out of your friends reach."

"You'll find they're a lot more resourceful than you think," Zion countered.

Winter shrugged. "Perhaps, but for the moment they appear to be, distracted with other things. I doubt they'll even notice what this is really about until it's too late to stop it."

Zion narrowed his eyes. "And what is this about, Isabella?"

Winter crossed her arms in front of her. "Is that this vessel's name? How interesting. I take it we have some sort of history. It would explain my knowledge of your abilities, at the very least."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Zion asked uneasily. How could she not remember anything? A chill ran through his spine, and not just because of the cold air around him. "Are you saying you're not her?"

"I suppose I am, in a way," Winter answered thoughtfully. "But enough of that. We have far more important matters to discuss."

Zion scoffed. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I originally planned to extract your God Slayer Lacrima, yet there doesn't appear to be one in your body," Winter explained. She stood up straight and strolled over to him. "So I'm curious, how exactly are you able to wield Slayer magic without a Lacrima. Or are you first generation?"

Zion shook his head. "You really aren't Isabella, are you?" He stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not a first gen like Morrigan or a second gen like other God Slayers. Truthfully, I've got no idea what I am."

.

March 7 X772

.

 _Zion stumbled after his mistress into the library, ignoring the snickering of a nearby servant. He took a deep breath and increased his pace._

 _Isabella stomped on ahead of him. In her right hand, she held the end of a short metal chain that was attached to his neck. She used it to pull him along with her. She stopped at a bookshelf and frowned. "I know it was right here!"_

 _Zion distanced himself from her by as much as he could. "What are you looking for milady?" he asked nervously. Her anger usually led to consequences for all the Blackwood's servants._

 _Isabella growled in frustration. She pointed at the shelf with her free hand. "My book! I left it right here, and now it's gone! If that useless cow moved it, I swear I'm going to kill her!"_

 _Zion winced on his fellow servant's behalf. Their mistress's arrogance was matched only by her cruelty. He cleared his throat. "I'm, sure it's here somewhere."_

 _"It'd better be," Isabella grumbled. She ripped one book out of the shelf and tossed it back at him, still mumbling curses under her breath._

 _Zion ducked underneath the book at the last second. He opened his mouth to retort but shut it before doing so. The last thing he needed was to make her even angrier._

 _Isabella yanked out a second book and discarded it in a similar fashion. "Where is it!" She continued this trend with growing irritation, sending books flying all over the room._

 _Zion covered his face with his arms, grimacing as each one bounced off of him._

 _Isabella grabbed ahold of a small book with a red cover and threw it at him with as little thought as she did the first book._

 _This time, Zion caught the book a moment before it hit him. He suppressed a growing scowl. How could she treat everything around her with such little care? He was about to put the book back when he caught a glimpse of the title: Magma God Slaying. The book itself was shielded shut by a magic seal._

 _His eyes widened. She'd unknowing thrown him a spellbook! His hand started to shake. "Maybe I should put it back, if I'm caught with this they'll kill me!" He glanced at Isabella, who paid him no heed. He gritted his teeth. "But if I pass this opportunity by, I might never get another one."_

 _"Finally!" Isabella exclaimed, snatching up the last book in the row. She flipped open to where she'd left off. She started to walk towards a sitting area, tugging on Zion's leash. "C'mon slave."_

 _Zion quickly stuffed the spellbook into his pants and hurried after her. "Yes, milady." The rest of the day passed by in a blur. All he could remember was trying to keep the spellbook from falling out of his clothes._

 _At the end of the day, Isabella released him for the night, allowing him to run back into the servant's quarters. He shut the door behind him and hurried over to his bed, taking a quick look at the other beds. Thankfully, the rest of his fellows appeared to be asleep._

 _He climbed into bed and covered himself with the blanket, finally pulling out the spellbook. The glowing magic seal lit up the area around him. "Whoa." He tried to open it, but the seal prevented him from doing so. He gritted his teeth and pulled harder. "C'mon!"_

 _The seal glowed brighter, causing the book itself to grow hit. Zion bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. He shut his eyes. "I need this book, it's the only way I can free myself," he whispered to no one in particular. He tightened his grip. "I won't let the Blackwood's get away with this!"_

 _His rage grew with every word until he was pulling at the cover with all his might. A surge of energy suddenly coursed through him and flowed out of his hands. The seal glowed brighter for a moment before shattering._

 _Zion gasped and dropped the book, staring at his hands. "What did I just do?" He glanced down at the book, which had fallen open to the first page. "I, really do have magic, don't I?"_

 _He picked up the book. Magma God Slaying, he didn't quite know what this magic did, but if allowed him to escape, he'd find a way to master it._

.

June 8 X784

.

"God Slayer magic used by someone without the blood of a god and without a Lacrima, you're a strange wizard," Winter commented. She walked closer to him. "A shame I don't have a chance to study you further."

"Yeah, it's a real pity," Zion said sarcastically. He resisted the urge to glance at the sapphire hanging over them. "Now would you care to explain how you managed to get your magic?"

Winter folded her hands behind her. "It was a gift, from my mother." She nodded up at the sapphire. "As is this."

Zion did look up at the crystal that time. "Some gift."

"Isn't it?"

Zion rolled his eyes. "It's wonderful, but what exactly is it?"

"It's known as the Eye of Skadi, a magical artifact capable of unleashing eternal winter upon the entire country," Winter explained. She strolled over to the sapphire, setting her hand on the surface. "Best part is; only I can activate it."

Zion narrowed his eyes. "Are you insane! Why on earthland would you do that!"

"Revenge," Winter answered.

Zion stared in disbelief. "I'm right here, aren't I? Just kill me and be done with it! There's no reason to torture an entire nation!" he exclaimed, desperately struggling against his restraints.

Winter chuckled under her breath. "Foolish boy, my revenge isn't for you."

Zion furrowed his eyebrows. "You're not making any sense. If you're not looking for revenge on me, then why did you kidnap me at all!"

"It was a stroke of bad luck on your part." Winter turned around to face him. "You see, as the Eye is a little, unstable. If I were to lose control, I'd need something to shut it down. And as it was forged by a god."

"Only a God Slayer could stop it," Zion murmured.

"Precisely," Winter answered. He could've sworn he could see her smirking beneath that mask of hers. "Can't have me dying along with my enemy."

Zion's eyes widened. "You're using me as a failsafe?"

"Precisely." Winter tapped her index finger against his lips, freezing his mouth shut. "Of course, now that you know that, I'll have to keep that mouth of yours closed."

Zion grimaced at the sudden cold. Deep inside his anger began to stir, causing a scowl to spread across his face.

Winter giggled at his expression. "I'll be back soon." An icy poured out of the sapphire and encircled her. "I should see to it that those friends of yours don't try anything stupid." Her body transformed into snow and blew away with the wind, leaving nothing behind.

Zion blinked, glancing up at the sapphire itself. His body temperature spiked, heating up the air around him. _"So that's the power source huh? Well, then that settles it."_ He'd have to destroy it, one way or another.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"You sure this is the right way?" Kayden complained. She glanced back the way they came. Lit only by an occasional lantern. "Because I feel like we're getting farther away from the basement."

Julie led the way, holding one of the lanterns in her hand. The light from the flame illuminating her sky blue hair. "Would you relax! I know which way is down."

Kayden increased her pace to catch up to her. "Knowing which way is down isn't going to help if we can't find the stairs." She crossed her arms. "Plus it'll make for a really embarrassing story back at the Guildhall."

"If we can't find the stairs, we'll just bust through the floor," Julie said with a shrug.

Kayden rolled her eyes. "Great idea."

"Thanks."

Kayden groaned.

Julie snickered quietly, holding her lantern out in front of her. "So, what do you think we'll find in their basement? My moneys on some sort of creepy dungeon, with medieval torture devices."

Kayden shuddered. "No way!" she said quickly. "It's just going to be a dusty cellar they added a cage into, they wouldn't be able to construct an entire dungeon without any noticing. Unless they bribed someone, killed the witnesses, hired criminals or-"

"I get it," Julie interrupted, casually looking up at the ceiling. The soft classical music from the party floor could be vaguely made out if you listened for it. "Alright, I bet that if I'm right, you have to challenge Morrigan to a duel, no holds barred."

Kayden narrowed her eyes. "She almost broke my arm last time!"

"Hey, if you're too chicken-"

"I'll do it," Kayden said immediately. She smirked. "But if I win, you have to go two whole weeks without so much as touching an alcoholic beverage."

Julie shivered. "Now that's just cruel!"

Kayden crossed her arms. "Most people could do that without a problem." They rounded a corner, continuing down the abandoned lower levels.

"Fine," Julie consented with a loud sigh. "Whoever loses, has to go through with their side of the bet." The glow from her lantern reached the end of the hall, illuminating a narrow spiral staircase.

Kayden placed her foot down on the first step, triggering a loud creak. "Yeah, that's not creepy at all," she muttered sarcastically.

Julie passed her the lantern. "Hey, at least we know we're on the right track."

Kayden held the light out in front of her. "I guess," she said uncertainly, inching her way down the wooden planks. "There better not be a trapdoor at the bottom."

"Don't be silly, if they laid any booby traps, they'd be on the stairs themselves." Julie set a hand on her hip. "Believe me, I encountered dozens of them back when I was a pirate."

Kayden paused, her eyes slowly narrowing. "If you knew all that, why did you let me step on the stairs at all!"

Julie shrugged. "We got to go through them eventually."

"So it might as well be me who takes the brunt of it?"

"You'd have been fine!" Julie insisted. She set a hand on the girl's back and pushed her further down. "Now keep going."

Kayden murmured her complaints as she strode down the spiral steps. The further down they went the colder the atmosphere became. She swallowed hard and came out at the bottom.

What faced her turned out to be a pleasant looking study lit by a few simple lights. A few bookshelves were standing against the wall, while a large wooden desk sat in the center of the room, on top of a large rug. A file cabinet was right next to it.

"Huh, not what I was expecting," Kayden admitted. She strolled further in. "At least nobody won the bet."

Julie set a hand on her chin. "Technically we both still lost."

Kayden shuddered. "Let's just agree that we didn't, okay?"

"Works for me," Julie agreed.

Kayden walked over to the desk and grabbed one of the papers, skimming over the small text. "This here says that the Blackwood's own an entire port in Draycott."

"Heard they own one of the local Trade Guilds too," Julie added, sitting down on the side of the desk. "Probably where a good portion their fortune comes from."

Kayden tossed the paper to the side and grabbed a second one. She cocked an eyebrow as she read over it. "Apparently, Captain Vandal purchased one of their old castles to serve as his base of operations, also in Draycott."

"Get around, don't they?" Julie commented.

"No kidding." Kayden searched through the drawers, her gaze stopping on a folder spearing the emblem of a snake's head, open wide to reveal sharp fangs. She picked it up and frowned. The mark seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Hm, that's weird," Julie commented.

Kayden lowered the folder and glanced at her. "What's weird?"

Julie stood in front of the next drawer, which contained a pile of old photos, two of which she now held in her hand. She scratched the back of her head. "Here, take a look." She held out one photo.

Kayden squinted at the picture. The first person she noticed was Lord Randal, standing on the left side, next to a black haired woman with black eyes. In front of them stood a young child, with the same hair and eyes at the first woman. Kayden shrugged. "I don't see the problem."

"Neither did I until I saw this." Julie swapped the first photo for the second, which showed a remarkably similar scene. Only with a different child.

Kayden blinked a couple times. The girl looked almost identical to the first, only her eyes were normal. "You're right, that is weird," she admitted. "Is that supposed to be their daughter?"

"I guess, but there's two of them." Julie rifled through the rest of the pictures. "They're not in any photographs together, and the first girl just up and vanishes like she was never there."

"Did she die?" Kayden asked hesitantly. She glanced at the door, suddenly feeling a little less comfortable.

Julie sighed. "Maybe. But I feel like there's a bit more going on here."

Kayden glanced down at the folder in her hands. She shrugged. "Maybe this'll clear things up a bit." She cracked it open, turning to the first page.

Julie cocked her head at the emblem on the cover. "Hang on, is that the Serpent Fang emblem?"

Kayden paused. "Who now? What do you know about them? I don't recognize it at all!"

Julie shrugged casually. "I'm not surprised. They were some all-female Assassin Guild, got wiped out years ago in some Light Guild raid." She cocked her head. "What exactly is in that folder?"

Kayden skimmed through the first page. "Looks like a list of all their members, it details their background's, jobs, hobbies, stuff like that," she reported, flipping through the folder rapidly. "Why this would be in the Blackwood Manor, I have no idea."

"You think he hired them for something?"

Kayden came to a stop on a particular page. One detailing the info of a Serpent Fang wizard, Elena. She swallowed hard. "No, but I think he married one."

"Huh?" Julie peered over her shoulder, a shrill whistle escaping her lips. She looked identical to the older woman in the pictures. "That's her alright. Randal's sure got an odd taste in women."

"That's putting it mildly," Kayden said nervously. She rolled the folder up and shoved it into her jacket. "We should probably meet up with everyone else. Not that I don't love the idea of being assassinated by a crazy noblewoman."

"I'm with you there," Julie agreed.

Kayden spun towards the exit and immediately walked off. No sense in wasting time where nothing was to be found. The pair quickly proceeded back up the staircase, once again entering the dark corridor.

In the distance the sound of thundering footsteps echoed down the hall, causing both girls to come to a stop and glance at each other. A squadron of men suddenly poured in from around the corridor, each wielding a halberd and wearing an iron helmet. They assembled in front of them, blocking their escape.

"Oh, c'mon!" Kayden exclaimed.

A flash of magic erupted in front of them, forcing everyone present to shield their eyes. When it faded, Lord Blackwood stood at the head of his men. He set a hand on his chest and smiled. "Ladies! It would seem you misunderstood my previous instructions! You were supposed to keep watch, and stay out of the other rooms."

"Oh great, it's you," Julie grumbled distastefully.

Randal shook his head disapprovingly. "Such a rude tone."

Julie shrugged. "Eh, what can I say? Manners aren't my strong suit."

"Evidently," Randal replied. He folded his hands behind him and sighed. "I take it you're not actually here to provide security then?"

Kayden did a quick head count on their enemy, numbering twenty of them in total. A piece of cake. She took a step forward. "Sorry, but we're not interested in working for criminals."

"You say that, but you're the one trespassing on my property," Randal countered. He nodded at the staircase. "If not for you tripping one of my runes, I wouldn't have even noticed your presence."

"See! I told you! They always booby trap the stairs!" Julie exclaimed triumphantly.

Kayden glared at her. "Shut up! That doesn't mean anything!"

Randal chuckled. "You are very strange wizards."

"Thanks!" Julie said.

Kayden elbowed her. "Don't thank him! He's a criminal!"

"Me? A criminal?" Randal repeated with exaggerated surprise. But it quickly morphed into an amused grin. "I see. Someone's finally figured it out, who sent you? Was it Captain Vandal? And here I thought giving him that castle would've shut him up."

Kayden blinked. He bribed Captain Vandal to leave him alone? She shook it off and crossed her arms. "No one sent us, your little mercenary gave you away!"

Randal snorted. "Mercenary? No, no, no, I'd never employ someone so crass."

Julie shrugged. "Why not? You hooked up with an assassin."

"By necessity," Randal interjected. He took a deep breath. "When I inherited this family it was on the brink of collapse. Both bankrupt, and despised by both the public and government alike. I tried for years to restore our good name, in an honorable fashion might I add! But it all amounted to nothing."

"Poor you," Kayden said mockingly. "Couldn't buy your back into prominence with your family's money."

Randal scoffed. "Brat."

"Princess," Kayden retorted.

Lord Blackwood laughed. "You're a feisty one. Reminds me of Elena when I first met her. She wanted a way out of the assassin's life, and I needed a new source of income. So we decided to combine our expertise. She helps me manage a new criminal empire and-"

"You help her disappear, we get it," Julie interrupted. She rolled her eyes. "Real match made in heaven, really, I think I might cry."

"Our dealings may not be legal, but we've never done anything to you or your Guild, there's no reason for us to be enemies," Randal said calmly. He closed his eyes. "Look, I understand, Angel Wing is a new Guild in the midst of a harsh region, you need wealth to grow. Turn around now, and I'll make a most generous donation to your cause."

"Never did anything to us?" Kayden stared at him disbelief. "You kidnapped Zion!"

Randal cocked an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"Former slave, Magma God Slayer, burned down your house, any of this ring a bell?" Julie chimed in.

Randal's expression hardened. "Ah yes, I remember now. To think he'd join your Guild. I suppose that explains how you found out about our less than legal activities. But no, I didn't order his abduction."

Kayden crossed her arms. "Yeah right."

Randal sighed and stretched out his arm in front of him. "I was hoping to avoid conflict. But, I suppose it can't be helped. If you won't listen, then all that remains is for me to make an example of you. Maybe this will dissuade your master from sending more of his minions after me. Re-quip!"

.

Upstairs...

.

Amelia progressed up the stairs leading to her parents bedroom. Her mind raced to come up with a plan, but kept getting distracted by her own memories. She gritted her teeth. _"I'm not some simpleton like Kadir or Alderic, my memories don't control me!"_ Another flash caused her to stop altogether. _"What am I even doing here? I should've brought Alderic. I can't fight without someone to manipulate."_

She stared at the door leading in, allowing herself to think back.

.

March 16 X771

.

 _"Where are we going, mother?" Amelia asked sleepily, clinging onto Elena's hand as she led her through the dark streets of Draycott. She hugged her doll tightly against her chest as a breath of night air brushed by her. She glanced up at her mother, who was being strangely quiet for whatever reason._

 _Elena finally looked down at her and smiled. "Somewhere fun. Just trust me, I'm sure you'll love it," she said sweetly._

 _Amelia tilted her head. "Really?"_

 _Elena nodded. "That's right." She glanced at the nearest street sign, her smile wilting for a moment. Her tone grew serious. "It's just up ahead."_

 _"Where?!" Amelia grinned and looked up at the sign, hoping to figure out where they were going. She hugged her doll tighter and squirmed, about ready to bolt ahead._

 _Elena managed a smaller smile. "I'm not sure you'll be able to see it from here." She nodded at a passing couple. "It's in a secret location."_

 _Amelia squeezed her mother's hand. Her grin widening. She loved secrets! They were so much fun to unravel. Now she couldn't wait to see where they were going! A short distance around the corner, they stopped at the entrance to an alleyway full of garbage. She cocked her head. "Huh? What kind of mystery is this?"_

 _Elena knelt down next to her and pecked her on the cheek. "Wait here for a moment. I promise I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere until then."_

 _Amelia rubbed her cheek. "Where are you going?"_

 _"Not far," Elena answered vaguely. She stood up and ruffled her hair. "Like I said, I'll be back in a minute. You be a good girl and wait here until then, okay?"_

 _Amelia shrugged. "Okay." She could entertain herself for that long. She sat down and started playing with her doll._

 _Elena watched her for a moment longer, her smile fading. She took a deep breath. "Goodbye, Amy." She walked around the corner and disappeared._

 _"Bye," Amelia replied without looking up from her doll._

.

June 8 X784

.

Amelia smiled bitterly. Needless to say, that was the last she ever saw of her mother. A local orphanage took pity on her after finding her abandoned in the alleyway. A deranged cackle escaped from her lips. To think they had the nerve to carry on as though she never existed. Just thinking about it made Master Dragon look like a saint. In a fit of rage she pushed open the door and stormed inside.

Across the room, facing away from her, stood Lady Elena Blackwood, formerly of Serpent Fang. Midnight black hair cascaded down to her mid-back in length. She wore a tight-fitting gray kimono with a pearl necklace hanging around her neck. She slowly turned around and smiled. "Amelia darling, I had a feeling you'd be back." Her black eyes narrowed. "You always were a clever girl."

Amelia swallowed hard. What did she just get herself into? She took a deep breath. "Hello mother, it's a been a while."

 **Up next: Eternal Winter, Skadi's Eye Opens  
**


	29. Eternal Winter, Skadi's Eye Opens

**Hello again everyone, thank for the feedback. As I was writing this chapter, I realized that my writing tends to be all over the place (generally because I change my mind quite often). Which, tends to make my chapters a bit messy and unfocused. I'll try to fix this in the future, for now, I hope you enjoy the chapter. All feedback is welcome.**

 **Martyn: I'll possibly do that in the future.**

June 8 X784

Amelia faced off against her mother, her breathing growing shallow. All her life she'd been thinking about what she'd say to her, but now that the time had come, she'd drawn a blank. She opened her mouth but said nothing.

Elena set a hand on her hip and scanned her daughter from head to toe. "You've grown into a lovely young woman." She stepped closer to her and nodded her approval. "Spitting image of me when I was your age."

A fresh wave of anger boiled up inside of Amelia. "Is that all you have to say!? After all this time, and all you've done!"

"I took no joy in it, but it had to be done," Elena answered plainly. "You see, you had the unfortunate honor of being born with my eyes. The very thing that made me famous as an assassin ended up sealing your fate. With Captain Vandal nipping at our heels already, having a daughter that bore the same, distinctive eyes as me, would've been an, inconvenience."

Amelia bit her lip. "So you swapped me out with somebody else?"

"Precisely, it was a stroke of luck on our part. We found a girl who looked so much like to you, that we could swap you for her before anybody noticed," Elena continued. "It saved our entire organization. Or at least, spared it a little trouble."

Amelia took another deep breath. Even though she knew this already, it felt surreal hearing her mother say it so plainly. "You never cared about me at all, did you?" she whispered darkly.

Elena sat down on the end of her bed and smiled. "Don't be like that, you know how these things work. I've heard all sorts of rumors about your dealings in the underworld. Though I'm surprised you got a position with those recluses in Demon Fang, they've always been an odd bunch."

"I joined them because they offered me a chance to get back at you," Amelia shot back. More memories flashed through her mind unwarranted. Her lurking in the corner of the orphanage, only her dolls to entertain her. She shook off the memory. _"What's wrong with me!"_

"And here you are, seems your faith was well-placed," Elena mused. She crossed her legs and grinned eagerly. "But now that you're here, do you really think you can defeat me? I'm an elite assassin of Serpent Fang. I've even killed Guild Master's, you don't even stand a chance against me."

Amelia swallowed hard. Though she hated to admit it, she was right. Her magic relied on using her opponents against themselves, a method which tended not to work when up against a single opponent she had no hair from. Her mother's apparent confidence didn't help either.

Elena closed her eyes. "Turn around and walk away, Amy. While my sympathy for you lasts." Her tone left little room for argument.

Amelia retreated a step. _"If I fight her now I could die. It might be better to fall back."_ She noticed her mother smirk, causing her to pause. She hardened her resolve. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elena set a hand on her chin and sighed, seemingly reluctant for a moment. "Such a shame. To kill my own daughter." She waved her hand a couple times. "But I suppose I've done worse. Lava Whip!" She formed a tether of magma in her hand and lashed it across her daughter's chest.

"Rgh!" Amelia gritted her teeth as she clutched her burned stomach. "Re-quip!" She summoned a doll to her hand and yanked a hair out of her hand, sticking it into the doll.

Elena set a hand on her chin and smiled. "How cute, fourteen years later and you're still playing with dolls." She swung her whip overhead before lashing at her feet.

Amelia attempted to jump back, but her right foot still got entangled, causing her to trip and fall on her back. "Ah!" She tightened her grip on her doll. A sharp pull from the whip caused her to fly into the air.

Elena spun her daughter around a couple times before hurling her out the bedroom window, shattering the glass in the process.

Amelia let out a brief scream as she plummeted down a floor and landed on her back. Shards of glass rained down around her, some cutting through her skin. She rolled onto her stomach, biting her lip as her back throbbed. She climbed to her feet and limped over to the fence surrounding the Blackwood's yard.

Elena hopped onto the edge of the broken window and snapped her fingers. "Lava Bomb!" A sphere of magma appeared in front of her and launched at the dark wizard.

Amelia gasped and sprang forward, somersaulting out of the way. She felt the heat from the blast but didn't get burned. She grabbed onto the barred fence. Her doll turned into metal, followed shortly by the rest of her body.

She turned around and breathed in deeply, focusing her racing mind.

Elena hopped down to her level. "Oh, so this is Witching Hour magic. A shame you don't have anyone have anyone to use it on, aside from yourself of course." She covered both her fists in magma.

Amelia paused. They were outside the manor now, where all of Demon Fang's reinforcements were stationed! But how could she summon them?

Elena laughed manically and ran at her, aiming several punches at her neck and face.

Amelia controlled herself with her doll, using it to steer herself out of the way of each attack. Her metal form dampened the burning effect, but only partially. She counterattacked with a sharp kick to the mouth, causing her mother to let out a satisfying grunt.

Elena rubbed her jaw. "You, little brat." She grabbed Amelia's left arm by the wrist. "I've had enough of this game darling."

Amelia tried to hit her with her other arm, but that too was caught by her mother. She tried to pull her arms free but failed miserably.

Elena summoned magma to her hands. "Flesh, stone, metal, doesn't matter. It all melts at a certain degree." Amelia's wrists started to glow from the burning.

"Ah!" Amelia cried, dropping onto one knee. She bit her lip to stifle further cries.

"A shame, in another universe, we would've made quite the duo," Elena mused. She shrugged. "But, it seems fate as something else in store for us. Farewell Amy." Her hands heated up even more.

"I'm, not, finished yet," Amelia gritted out.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Please, what are you going to do?"

Amy forced a smile. "Witching Hour magic doesn't just let me turn into solids." Both her doll and body transformed into magma.

Elena let go of her and stumbled back. "What?"

Amelia slammed her fist into her mother's chest with as much power as she could muster up.

"Augh!" Elena gagged as she flew backward. She hit the ground and rolled back into the bushes. She stood up and grimaced. Her expensive clothes now covered in dirt and grass. "You're going to pay for that! Lava Bomb!" She created a second sphere of magma and launched it.

Amelia drew back her leg and yelled, kicking the sphere straight into the air. She set her foot back down and smirked. "That should be clear enough."

Elena started to approach her. "Clear enough for what?" A streak of blue light flew over the fence and hit her in the chest. She collapsed onto one knee and scowled. "Ugh, who on earthland did that?"

Amelia set a hand on her hip. "You didn't think I came here alone now, did you, Mother?" she asked mockingly.

A squadron of Demon Fang Wizards vaulted over the fence and assembled on each side of her. About fifteen total. "What's going on? Are we attacking the mansion early?" one asked.

Amelia folded her hands behind her. "No, just her. I need her subdued."

"Whatever you say."

Elena scoffed. "Calling in minions now? Please." She stretched her arms out horizontally. "Lava Serpents!" A river of magma poured out of each of her hands, molding themselves into the shape of a snake. She thrust her arms forward, launching both at them.

"Stop it!" Amelia ordered. "Now!"

Five ice wizards stepped forward and combined their magic. "Blizzard Wall!" They conjured a thick wall of ice, successfully blocking the spell.

Elena shook her head. "You think you can stop me with ice?" She covered her palms in more lava. "This is no ordinary magma; I can increase its temperature at will. To the point where it can melt anything!" She formed another sphere of lava in front of her, steam pouring out from it. "Lava Bomb!"

The Demon Fang mages prepared to cast the same spell again, but Amelia held up her hand. "Don't bother, it's too powerful!"

Elena unleashed the spell, which soured forward and smashed into the middle of the Demon Fang ranks, blowing several of them away.

Amelia shielded her face with her arms, grimacing at the intense heat. A slight grin crossed her face. _"She really is perfect for our plans."_ She plucked a hair from a nearby wizard and stuck it into her doll.

"You're a lucky girl, Amy, finding an orphanage, managing to join Demon Fang, learning Lost Magic, and even making your way back here. But your luck ends here." Elena clasped her hands together in front of her. Nearly a dozen triangle shaped blades appeared in the air around her.

A Demon Fang wizard took a step forward and frowned. "What the heck are those things supposed to be?"

Elena pointed at him, causing one of the blades to shoot forward and stab him in the chest.

He let out a gasp before falling on his back and going limp.

The rest of his fellows all stared at him, murmuring their worries to each other. Amelia herself swallowed hard. "What did you do to him?"

"I can do more than simply burn my dear," Elena said smugly. She rippled her fingers, causing another half dozen blades to form alongside the others. "Each of these blades contains the force of a Lava Bomb, all of which released into the first target they touch, melting their internal organs and killing them instantly."

Amelia's mind raced to come up with a solution to this new problem. _"This isn't good."_

"This spell has allowed me to successfully complete over one hundred assassinations! This pathetic force of yours is nothing against it!" Elena proclaimed. She thrust her arm forward, sending forth an entire volley of blades.

"Everyone scatter!" Amelia ordered. She forced her thrall to move in front of her.

"Hey!" the wizard protested.

The rest of the demons obeyed her command and spread out, several still took a blade to the chest and immediately died in the same fashion as their comrade. Those that survived attempted to return fire with various spells, only for their target to continuously dodge their clumsy attempts.

Amelia narrowed her eyes. How were they supposed to get past those blades? Her gaze shifted over to Elena's hair. She could do something with that. She forced her thrall to run forward against his own will.

Elena noticed his approach and cocked an eyebrow. "Foolish boy." She pointed at him, firing three blades directly into his chest. Each hit resulted in an internal explosion of magma that immediately killed the wizard.

Amelia cringed on his behalf but shook it off. Better him than her. She forced his now dead body to continue the charge, throwing a sloppy punch at her mother.

Elena's eyes widened slightly. "How did you-" She stopped short of replying to dodge the incoming attack.

Though he missed her face, the dead wizards arm still brushed against the side of her head. After finishing his attack, he collapsed onto the grass behind her, his eyes rolling back.

Elena glanced back at him with an annoyed expression. "Oh Amy did you really think I wouldn't figure out who was controlling him." She pointed at her daughter, launching all remaining blades directly at her.

Amelia frantically yanked out one of her hairs and stuffed it into her doll. Using her magic to switch places with the wizard, causing her to land roughly on the ground where he used to be.

Elena paused at the sudden movement. "I see, an interesting tactic." She snapped her fingers, creating another set of blades. She spun around to face Amelia. "It managed to buy you a few seconds, I'll give you that."

The remnants of Demon Fang's unit fired spells at her while her back was turned.

Elena snapped again. "Lava Cloak!" A shield of magma formed behind her, halting whatever spells came her way. "Annoying, aren't they?" She swept her arm in their direction. A series of lava geysers erupted beneath their feet, wiping the entire unit out in an instant.

Amelia swallowed hard. Nothing left to distract her now. She ran her hand through the grass next to her. _"Where is it!?"_ Her hand finally brushed against a long black strand of hair. She smiled in relief and grabbed onto it.

"Now, where were we?" Elena asked rhetorically. She lifted her hand and pointed at her. All her blades aimed themselves at her. "It was fun to see you again Amy, now, goodbye."

Amelia shoved the hair into her doll. "Not so fast!" She pushed the arm of her doll up.

Elena's arm jerked up in the same fashion, causing her to shoot all her blades into the air where they exploded. Her eyes widened. "What? No way! You never touched me!"

Amelia broke into a grin, cackling under her breath. "I didn't need to." She rose to her feet and held out her doll. "When my thrall attacked you, I never intended for him to take you down."

Elena's flashed back to the moment where the wizard's hand had brushed against the side of her head. Realization surfaced on her face. "You used him to pull out a strand of my hair," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Amelia forced her to turn around. "From there, all that remained was for me to switch places with him so I could collect it. I also noticed that, without your hands, you can't use your magic."

"You little brat," Elena growled.

Amelia grabbed a belt from one of her fallen teammates, using it to tie Elena's hands behind her back. She took a step back and made her turn back around. She stared at the woman in front of her for a moment, before forming a fist and punching her straight in the face.

Elena recoiled from the hit and yelled. A large bruise developed on her right cheek.

Amelia smirked in satisfaction. "I've wanted to do that since I turned seven," she said as she rubbed her sore knuckle.

Elena glared in response. "Apparently I forgot to teach you some manners."

"I see you took good care of our reinforcements."

Amelia glanced over at the gate, where the rest of the Demon Fang wizards were converging. At the front of them stood burly fire mage with a cigar in his mouth. She set a hand on her hip. "I wasn't the one who hurt them."

"No, just the idiot who alerted the one who did," the mage replied.

Amelia bit back a retort. She glanced at her mother and bit her lip. Her mind once again drifted back to the day she was abandoned. She gritted her teeth. _"You defeated her! Stop thinking about it already!"_ she scolded herself.

"Ahem," the wizard cleared his throat. "Well, now that you've ruined our original plan. What are we supposed to do now? Your little skirmish will attract the military before long."

Amelia shook her head. "Forget them, we have everything we need. All we have to do is destroy the Eye and kill Lord Blackwood." She forced her mother to walk.

"Right, and how are we supposed to destroy a diamond?"

Amelia nodded at Elena. "By using her of course." She approached the Manor's side door. It took longer than expected, but her plan would soon reach fruition, and the Eye of Skadi would be destroyed.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Winter watched the scene unfold from the upstairs window. _"The Blackwood's daughter returns to seek revenge, how amusing."_ She set her hands against the window, causing it to frost. _"Should provide nearly enough energy for the activation process."_

She removed her hand and turned away, strolling down the hall leading back to the auditorium. Her mind began to wander as she replayed the fight, point by point. _"She's a clever one, albeit a little impulsive. You've chosen impressive minions, Dragon."_

She stepped out onto the balcony, her gaze traveling down to Zurdun and Morrigan as they tried to calm the crowd. _"But have you finally been outclassed? It's almost a shame I have to cut your rivalry short."_

The Eye of Skadi still loomed above her. If you looked close enough, you could even see cold mists drifting around it. Winter licked her lips. _"Your Eye opens soon, mother. All I need now is the angels magic."_

.

Downstairs…

.

Lord Blackwood's men let out a yell and charged. They were hardly an organized force, with most members running in lopsided ranks with no discernable formation. Frankly, Julie's pirates had better formation.

Kayden clenched her fists and looked up. "Takeover! Mythic Soul, Chimera!" A magical glow washed over her, transforming her into her monster form. She took a step forward. "Okay, how we going to approach this?"

Julie leaned against the hall, spinning her lantern around her index finger. "Hmm, good question." She lazily scanned the incoming guards. "I could probably run us past them and go upstairs, meet up with Morrigan and Zurdun. Strength in numbers and all that."

Kayden shook her head vigorously. "No way! Morrigan will just yell at us and force us to undergo another of her hellish training courses."

Julie smirked. "Is that pride or fear talking?"

"Self-preservation," Kayden answered.

"So, fear?" Julie asked.

Kayden crossed her arms. "Oh, shut up." If she wasn't in her Chimera form, she'd probably be blushing.

Julie set her lantern down next to her and stepped over to her partner's side. The guards were now within five yards. She stretched out her legs. "Alright, I take the weapons, you take the soldiers."

Kayden nodded. "Right."

"Speed Force!" The world around Julie seemed to slow down as her spell activated. She ran up to the guard's front ranks, setting a hand on the nearest man's halberd. "Inertia!" She manipulated the inertia of the object, making it immovable. She proceeded to do the same for the next five, before pulling back to her companion.

Time returned to normal, causing the guards to immediately drop their weapons. They glanced at each other in obvious confusion. "What just-"

Kayden sent two of them flying with a jump kick, proceeding to take down a third with a precise spin kick.

Julie sat back and watched her teammate dismantle the rest of their opponents first ranks. She was so effective that the next wave hesitated.

Randal gritted his teeth. "Don't stop now! Push forward!" His men redoubled their efforts and charged again.

"Speed Force!" Julie activated her spell again and darted over to them, once again using her "Inertia" spell to make all their weapon immovable. After that had been accomplished, she fell back to her partner. "They're all yours!" She swept her hand in their direction.

Kayden rolled her eyes and attacked the next group, defeating them as quickly as she defeated the first wave.

Julie took a deep breath. Her magic was already low due to running halfway to Crocus, now she only had enough for a few more spells at most.

Randal eyed her from behind his men, setting a hand on his chin. "I see."

Kayden knocked out the rest of the second wave, a smug grin flashing across her face. "Who's next!" She assumed a martial arts stance.

The last of the soldiers backed away, murmuring amongst themselves.

Randal folded his hands behind him. "Phase!" He disappeared in another bright flash of magic, blinding both wizards.

Julie rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, what was that?" She backpedaled into a tall man. Her head jerked up. "What?"

Randal grabbed her by the wrist and held the blade of his rapier against her throat. "You move fast, I hardly noticed you."

Julie grew tense at his touch. "Wait, you use teleportation magic?" Her vision finally returned. Aside from Randal, the last of his men were all armed and closing in.

Kayden glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening. "Julie!" She started to turn around but was forced to stop to defend herself from one of the nobleman's guards.

Julie glanced at her wrist and raised an eyebrow. "Not a bad grip you've got there."

Randal snickered. "Should I be flattered?"

Julie mentally called up more of her magic, spreading it throughout her entire body. "I wouldn't be. Frictionless!" She casually slipped her arm free and ducked under his sword blade.

Randal's eyes widened. "What the-"

Julie spun around and planted both hands on his chest. "Absolute Velocity!" She transmitted a wave of energy into his clothes, sending him flying into the wall.

Randal hit the wall but didn't fall, remaining pinned by an invisible force. The stone surface around him began to crack under pressure. He narrowed his eyes. "Not a bad trick. Phase!" He teleported away.

Julie released the spell and exhaled. "Great, this again."

"Takeover! Mythic Soul, Blazing Phoenix!" Kayden transformed again and hit the last guard with a fireball. Her arms lowered to her side. "Sheesh, that was annoying."

Randal materialized behind her and lifted his rapier.

Julie stepped forward. "Kayden look out!"

Randal let out a yell and slashed his blade across her back five times in rapid succession. "Phase!" In the same manner that he appeared, he vanished.

Kayden let out a short yell and fell to her knees. "You, coward!"

Another flash lit up the dark corridor, this time behind Julie. She spun around and lifted a hand. "Air Walk!"

Randal let out a yell and lunged at her throat, but the tip of his sword was knocked off course by what appeared to be an invisible wall. He frowned. "What?"

Julie lowered her hand. "I can manipulate air-friction to the point where I can make footholds." She smirked. "But it can also double as a makeshift barrier."

Randal narrowed her his eyes. He prepared to strike again.

Kayden created a fireball between her hands and tossed it at him. "Heads up!"

Randal stopped short of striking and cried. "Phase!" He teleported away again.

Kayden immediately spun around and blasted Lord Blackwood with fire the moment he appeared behind her. "You're going to have be a little less predictable than that!"

Randal yelled and dropped to the floor, rolling around to extinguish the flames.

Kayden stalked over and stomped on his chest, pinning him to the ground. "Alright, enough games. You try that teleport crap again, and I'll set you on fire a second time."

Julie sauntered over to her side. "And you say Morrigan's scary."

"I do not!" Kayden snapped.

Randal raised his hands in surrender. "You've made your point. I'll cancel all my illegal dealings in the Draycott region, and make a substantial donation to your Guild. That's worth far more than anything Captain Vandal will give you."

Kayden groaned. "Are you still not getting this?" She pointed at herself with her thumb. "We're here because you kidnapped a member of our Guild!"

Randal sighed in exasperation. "I did no such thing! If anything, I've benefited from your presence in Draycott, I wouldn't do anything to hinder you. Even if it involved revenge on my old slave."

"Not your slave anymore," Julie sang.

Randal's expression turned sour. "You're making it very difficult not to hate you."

"She has a habit of that." Kayden shrugged. She pressed her foot down harder on him. "And if you didn't kidnap Zion, who did?"

"How should I know!?" Randal exclaimed. "I had nothing to do with it."

A blast of icy wind suddenly blew in from down the hallway, causing everyone to shiver. "A deceptive crime lord brought to his knees by a pair of wizards, and all over the one crime he never committed." The ice swirled around, forming into the shape of a masked woman. "How amusing."

Kayden stared at her blankly. "Wait, who are you?"

"My name is of no concern, but you can call me Winter," the woman replied. She formed a stool of ice and sat down, crossing her legs in front of her. She glanced at Randal and shrugged. "This wasn't necessarily a part of the plan, but it seems to have worked out well enough."

"Your plan? What plan? What are you even doing here?" Kayden questioned. She snapped. "Wait, you that weird masked lady Morrigan told us about."

"Nah, of course not, she's another weird masked lady that just happens to be in the same building as an abducted member of our Guild," Julie said, accompanying it with an eye roll.

Kayden's eye twitched. "I could do without the sarcasm!"

Winter folded her hands in front of her, resting her chin on top of them. "I congratulate you on your victory wizards." Another wave of icy wind swirled around her. "But I can't have you interrupting my plans."

"Yeah, like we care." Kayden lifted her fists in front of her. "I'm just glad you spared us the trouble of hunting you down."

Winter laughed at her. "Such bravado! You remind me of myself at your age." She lifted a hand overhead, beckoning the wind to her palm where it formed into a compressed sphere of ice. "It's a shame confidence doesn't make up for weakness." She lifted her arm in front of her, her eyes flashing blue. "God Slayer Secret Art…"

Julie backed away and swallowed hard. That didn't look good. She spun around and ran over her to partner, grabbing her by the waist.

Kayden leaned away from her. "What are you doing?"

"Holy Lotus Whiteout!" Winter brought her fist down on the orb, crushing it under her fist. A wave of mist blasted out from her hands, freezing the ground and ceiling in its wake.

Julie tightened her grip on Kayden and hoisted her over her shoulder. She turned her back on the mist and crouched down. "Speed Force!" Using the last of her magic, she sprinted away at full speed.

Randal reached after them desperately. "Wait! Don't leave me!" The mist reached his ankles, immediately freezing them solid. "Augh! No, no!" The ice entirely encased his body, leaving him a frozen statue.

Kayden gasped. "No way." She started to squirm. "We have to help them!"

Julie gritted her teeth and pushed on. Doing her to best to block out the sound of the mist reaching the rest of the guards. She rounded the corner and hurried down the corridor, slowing to a stop as her magic ran dry.

Kayden rolled off her shoulder, landing on her stomach. She scrambled to her feet and dusted herself off. "We need to go back!"

Julie grabbed her arm. "They were just frozen, they'll live. But if Winter catches us, we certainly won't, and neither will the rest of the team. We need to regroup!" she said firmly.

Kayden blinked at her, taken off guard by how uncharacteristically serious she was being. She bit her lip and nodded.

Winter walked around the corner. "Still alive angels?" She sauntered closer to them, leaving icy footprints behind her. She lifted her hand in front of her and formed a second sphere. "God Slayer Secret Art: Holy Lotus Whiteout!" She smashed it with her fist, casting a second wave of mist upon them.

Kayden's eyes widened. "You got to be kidding me!" She snapped herself out of it and spun around, grabbing her partner by the wrist. "Let's go!"

Julie stumbled after her, eventually picking up speed. The two fled down the corridor, the mist nipping at their heels…

.

Upstairs…

.

Morrigan rubbed her forehead. Of all things, a guest suddenly lost his mind, must've decked at least ten people before she'd restrained him. Made her job a lot harder. At least the Blackwood's hadn't chewed them out. She paused at that thought. _"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen either of the Blackwood's since the party began."_

She lazily glanced up at each balcony, seeing only a few guests and servants. She frowned, did they find out about Kayden and Julie's search? Her frown deepened. If they did, they could be in trouble. A slight tremor almost caused her to trip and fall. She set her hand on the wall to balance herself. "What was that?"

She glanced up at Zurdun, who seemed as lost as her. Meanwhile, the crowd around her all murmured in apparent confusion. A few started loudly calling for an answer to what just happened.

Morrigan crossed her arms and huffed. "Great." She stepped over to the crowd and tried to calm everyone down, smiling to hide her irritation. _"What's going on? Julie and Kayden are never that destructive."_

As if on cue, the door to the basement flew open, and Kayden ran out, dragging Julie behind her. She fell to her knees and panted. "Someone, help."

Morrigan hurried over to them, scoffing in an overdramatic fashion. "Running away now? I thought you were braver than that."

Kayden glanced up at her and smiled. "Never thought I'd be so happy to hear one of your condescending lectures."

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

Zurdun stepped up next to her and sighed. "So much for going unnoticed. Tell me you at least got the evidence."

Julie picked herself up. "Does an unrecorded confession count?"

Morrigan groaned.

"What's going on here? Who are they?" a guest yelled.

Zurdun gestured for them to calm down. "Relax, it's all under control."

"No, it's not!" Kayden scrambled up and pointed at the door behind them. "Winter's coming!"

"It's June you idiot!" a guest yelled at her.

Morrigan felt a chill run up her spine. Her all too recent defeat at Winter's hands coming to mind. She hardened her resolve. "She's right, we need to evacuate." She took a step closer to the door and peered inside to try and get a good look.

A snowy wind suddenly whipped past her, messing up her already wild maroon hair. Morrigan backed away, wiping the snow off her face. "The heck is that?" She watched the wind as it made its way up to the top of the crystal, where it swirled around like a tornado.

Suddenly, the snow dispersed to reveal Winter standing atop the crystal. She stretched out her arms and laughed. "Leaving so soon? But you'll miss all the fun!" She clapped once, causing a wall of ice to form in front of all exits, trapping everyone inside.

The crowd fell into a full-blown panic and started running wildly. Some flailed on the walls in a vain attempt to break through.

Morrigan glared up at her. "You! What's going on here?"

Winter tilted her head. "Still so clueless? I suppose I can't blame you." She crouched down and set her hand on the surface of the crystal. "After all, the Eye of Skadi probably fell out of history centuries ago!" The diamond began to glow a bright blue color.

Morrigan squinted through the light, keeping her eyes on the woman. "What is she doing?"

A bright blue laser shot out of the Eye and into the air, breaking through the glass ceiling in the process. It ascended high into the sky, illuminating the night.

Zurdun blocked the glow with his hand. "What's she doing up there?"

Morrigan leaned forward, focusing as best she could. "I, think she's..." Gray clouds rolled from the laser, spreading out in every direction at a rapid pace. Soft white flecks began raining down from them, intensifying in number with each passing second. Morrigan blinked several times, hardly believing her eyes. "Making it snow."

"No way," Zurdun muttered in disbelief.

Winter laughed loudly. "Eternal winter has arrived!"

 **Up next: Wrath of Skadi**


	30. Wrath of Skadi

**Hello again everybody! Thank you for the reviews, they're always appreciated. While writing this chapter, I noticed that the one thing I seem to be having a hard time with recently are the fight scenes, so I hope I did okay. This arc will be ending in a couple of chapters, and will be followed up by the S-class trials, not counting a possible interlude I might add in between the arcs.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoy what's left of this arc. Any feedback is welcome.**

June 8 X784

The room fell into a desperate panic, guests fled in every direction while security desperately tried to keep order, only to join the panic upon seeing snow falling from the sky. The light snowfall soon turned into a wild blizzard as the Eye continued to operate. Soon the entire auditorium was covered in three feet of snow.

Morrigan brushed off her breastplate, resisting the urge to shiver at the intense cold. She furrowed her eyebrows. "This doesn't make sense, how is she doing this? What is that thing?" She glanced back at her team.

Zurdun rubbed the back of his neck, his stare fixed on Winter. "I knew something was off about this."

Kayden chewed on her lip and paced around them repeatedly. "This is so weird! What's even going on? She's not with the Blackwood's I mean, heck, she might've just killed Randal!" she cried.

"Lord Blackwood's dead?" a guest exclaimed. The room fell silent, before breaking into even more hysteria.

The entire team glared at Kayden, who laughed nervously. "Uh, sorry?"

Morrigan crossed her arms. "I knew we should've gagged you."

Zurdun cleared his throat. "Might I suggest we focus on the larger issue?" he asked dryly. He gestured up towards the Eye of Skadi, where Winter watched everyone scramble around with obvious amusement.

Morrigan hardened her expression. "We'll just have to kill her."

"Skipping a few details there Morrigan," Kayden pointed out.

"Hm? Oh, right." Morrigan set a hand on her chin. "It should be a death by stabbing, preferably through the heart, by use of a sword or another sharp object."

Kayden narrowed her eyes. "That not what I meant and you know it!"

"First things first!" Julie called over the scrambling crowd. "We need to get everyone else out of here!"

Morrigan checked each of the exits, each being blocked by a layer of ice. _"She's toying with us"_ She noticed a single unblocked door. "What about that exit? Does that lead anywhere?"

Kayden craned her neck to get a good look. "I don't know, it probably just leads deeper into the mansion."

"That works, as long as they're out of the way," Zurdun replied. He pointed at Kayden and Julie. "You two are already low on energy, you lead them inside. See if you can find a window or anything else that can serve as an exit. Evacuate whoever you can."

"Will do," Julie said. She bit her lip. "Just be careful, she's pretty hardcore."

Zurdun snorted. "You talking about Winter or Morrigan?"

Kayden laughed nervously. "The warning applies to both."

Morrigan took a step closer and narrowed her eyes. "You have something you want to say?"

Kayden leaned away, shaking her head frantically. "Nope, not at all!" She turned her head to the right. "Oh look! I better get to work, bye!" She fled the conversation to carry out their assigned task. "Everyone! Come with us if you want to escape!"

Julie walked over to the door, pulling it open. "Come on everyone! You can get out through here!"

Morrigan nodded, satisfied at their efforts. Her gaze drifted up to Winter, too distracted by her own laughter to see what they were doing. She stretched out her arm, aiming it at her. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She formed a crimson orb around her hand and fired it at her opponent.

Winter sidestepped at the last second, allowing the sphere to pass by harmlessly. She ceased laughing and looked down at them, grinning ear to ear. "The War Goddess of Fiore, so eager to be defeated again?" she asked mockingly.

Morrigan gritted her teeth, firing a second bolt.

This time, Winter smacked the orb into the wall with the back of her head. She lifted her other hand, conjuring a sphere of frost on her palm. She drew back her arm. "Ice God's Pulse!" She thrust her arm forward, launching the spell.

Zurdun set both hands on the floor. "Rock Wall!" A slab of earth rose out of the floor in front of them. Though it blocked the spell, it suffered severe damage in the process. He whistled. "She packs quite a punch."

Morrigan shuddered. "No kidding." She peered around the Rock Wall, her eyes narrowing at her arrogant posture. "She can block any single spell, we'll need to hit her with a barrage of them."

Zurdun waved his arm, causing his wall to collapse into rubble. "I got you. Re-quip!" A pickaxe materialized in his hand. "I get her attention, you hit her hard."

Morrigan nodded. "Right." She stretched both hands out in front of her, forming a long red spear in between her hands.

Zurdun lifted one hand, causing the rocks in front of him to levitate, thirteen in all. He let out a yell and launched each, one at a time, with a mighty blow from his pickaxe, throwing an entire volley of rubble at Winter.

"War God's Explosive Spear!" Morrigan grabbed her newly formed javelin and hurled it along with the rock.

Winter weaved between most of the spell until one finally hit her on the side. She grimaced, stunned for a brief moment. By the time she recovered, she was left with no time to dodge Morrigan's spear. It slammed into her chest and exploded, causing her to scream. She stumbled away from the edge and grimaced.

"Do it again!" Morrigan ordered, creating a second spear in her hands.

Zurdun raised another set of rocks and launched them in similar fashion.

"War God's Explosive Spear!" Morrigan hurled a second javelin into the volley.

Winter clapped her hands in front of her. "Ice God's Mirror!" A thin wall of ice formed in front of her, allowing the projectiles to ricochet off the cool surface of her shield. Even Morrigan's spear fizzled out without leaving a mark.

Morrigan clenched a fist. "Move to the left, we'll hit her from the sides," she instructed, as she took off in the other direction.

Zurdun nodded, complying with her request.

"Ice God's Arrow Barrage!" A flurry of icicles poured out from behind the mirror, showering both wizards in sharp blades.

"Rgh." Morrigan tightened her jaw, her body pained from a dozen new cuts. She lifted her head and breathed in the fury of the air, causing her cheeks to puff out. "War God's Bellow!" She unleashed a tornado of energy from her mouth.

Winter spun out of the way, engulfing her left hand in frost. "Ice God's Pulse!" She fired another sphere out of her palm.

It smashed into Morrigan's chest, denting her armor. Her eyes widened as another round of pain flooded her senses. She dropped to one knee, cursing under her breath. _"She's even stronger than she was in Draycott."_

"Pebble Spray!" Zurdun called from across the room.

Winter found herself pelted by a barrage of tiny rocks, causing her to gasp in surprise and pain. She spun around and pointed her arm at him. "Ice God's Pulse!" She counterattacked, triggering an explosion across the room.

Morrigan picked herself up, steadying her breathing. Another four explosions rocked the far side of the auditorium, accompanied by Zurdun's shout. She looked up at Winter and breathed in. "War God's-"

"Ice God's Shackle!" Winter fired a long chain out of his palm, entangling her waist. With another sharp pull, Morrigan found herself roughly pulled off her feet and send sliding across the room.

Morrigan thrashed around, barely aware of what was happening as her face was dragged through the snow. She came to a stop only after she slammed into Zurdun, knocking him onto his back.

Zurdun pushed her off of him. "Sheesh." He sat up and rubbed his forehead. "That little diamond of hers must be giving her a power boost."

Morrigan scrambled to her foot, brushing herself off. "No, this is all her," she said plainly. She reached up to fix her bandana. "She just held back the first time we fought."

Zurdun sighed. "Great, so how are we supposed to beat her?"

"Re-quip! Sacred Sword of Fire, Clarent!" Morrigan summoned her sword to her hand.

Zurdun cocked an eyebrow. "I see." He stood up and rolled his shoulders. "I can give you a way up there. But from there you're on your own."

"Good enough," Morrigan said with a shrug.

Zurdun breathed in, his muscles visibly tensing. He let out a yell and slammed both his hands into the ground. A dozen stone pillars rose out of the ground, forming a makeshift staircase to the Eye. He coughed, falling onto his knees. "Yeah, that took more energy than I expected."

Morrigan kept her gaze fixed on Winter. "Thanks, this'll do perfectly." She crouched down in preparation. "Take five, I'll be back in a minute." She sprinted forward, leaping on top of the first pillar.

"Ice God's Pulse!"

Morrigan jumped to next just in time to avoid being hit by another sphere of ice. She took a deep breath and moved on to the next column, steadily growing closer to her target. All the while dodging more ice spheres.

Winter stopped for a minute, her eyes narrowing. She lowered her arm slightly, this time firing a sphere into the pillar closest to her, causing it to collapse the second her opponent landed on top of it.

Morrigan's eyes widened. She sloppily sprang forward, managing to grab onto the side of the crystal. Her breathing grew shallow as she realized how exposed she was.

Yet, instead of attacking, Winter merely stared down at her with an amused expression. "Morrigan is it? Your friend told me something very interesting about you."

Morrigan scowled at her. "Where is he!?"

Winter cocked her head. "Inside the Eye, where he's always been," she said casually. "I knew, that the second I said their name, you'd be far too preoccupied fighting them to even consider any other possibilities. Which allowed me to lure you in, so the Eye could feed off your magic."

Morrigan bit her lip. "You lured us into battle, so you could use us, as batteries!?"

Winter shrugged. "You make it sound so wrong."

Morrigan narrowed her eyes. "War God's Shock Leg!" She ignited her feet with a crimson glow, propelling her into the air. She flipped over Winter, landing behind her. "Yah!" She engulfed the blade of her sword in fire and slashed at her neck.

"Ice God's Scepter!" Winter created a spear just in time to parry the blow. Only to find herself quickly put on the defense as Morrigan pursued the attack with a flurry of savage blows.

Morrigan kept up the pressure, each strike of her burning blade breaking a piece off her opponent's spear. She pushed her even closer to the edge to the point where she almost fell off the side.

Winter ducked under a near fatal blow, using the opportunity to dart around Morrigan, kicking the back of her exposed knee.

Morrigan grunted as she collapsed onto one knee, almost slipping and falling off herself. She tightened her grip of Clarent and whirled around, nearly cutting her opponent down. She pursued the attack with a rain of fierce sword strikes.

Winter backed away from the War Goddess, still parrying with her damaged spear.

Morrigan felt her arms start to tire and redoubled her efforts. Refusing to her moments reprieve. She finally cut Winter's spear in two, exposing her for a split second. "War God's Crushing Fist!" Morrigan blasted Winter with an energy-enhanced punch to the face, cracking her mask.

Winter recoiled at the blow, her eyes wide.

Morrigan let out a yell and advanced on her, lifting her sword overhead, bringing it down to cleave her opponent in two.

Winter caught her by the wrists, stopping her in her tracks. She stared at Clarent thoughtfully. "Hmm, I didn't get a good look before, but now." She pressed her thumbs into Morrigan's wrists, causing her to reflexively unclench her fists. Clarent slipped from her hands and fell onto the crystal with a noisy clang, the fire around it fizzled out.

Morrigan's usual scowl faded into surprise.

"Ice God's Holy Heel!" Winter swept her legs out from under her.

Morrigan fell on her back. "Ugh!" She started to sit up, only to be pinned down by Winter's foot.

Winter reached down, wrapping her hand around Clarent's hilt. She lifted it up and admired its shimmering blade and golden hilt.

"Don't you dare touch that!" Morrigan snapped. She grabbed her opponent's foot and tried to pull her off.

Winter set the tip of her sword at the throat of her opponent. "I didn't get a good enough look at his before. But this sword is definitely Olympian in origin." She cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're Athena's aren't you? About time she parted with you."

Morrigan's struggles subsided as her eyes widened in shock. "How did you know that?"

Winter chuckled. "You didn't think you were the only First-Generation God Slayer, did you? In reality, you're the last." She shrugged at the sword. "Carrying a predictably simple gift from your mother. How dull, mine gave me something far more, awestriking."

Morrigan's heart rate increased. "The Eye of Skadi?"

Winter cracked a smile. "Exactly. All us first-gens received a parting gift from our parents, mine just happens to be the flashiest." She raised the Sacred Sword overhead. "But enough explanations, you can ask your mother for the details in person."

Morrigan swallowing a small lump in her throat.

"Dark Ice Magic: Glacier Spear!"

Winter brought the sword down, only for it to be knocked out of her hand halfway to reaching her target. "What the-"

"War God's Crushing Fist!" Morrigan punched her in the stomach again, pushing her off. She hopped to her feet and grabbed Winter by the arm. She swung Winter around before hurling her off the edge of the Eye.

Winter plummeted to the ground, letting out a surprisingly feminine scream as she went.

Morrigan exhaled. She hadn't had a call that close since Mt. Hakobe. Speaking of which, her gaze shifted to her right.

Alderic stood on the balcony, nodding in acknowledgment. He set a hand on the railing and vaulted over the side.

Morrigan frowned. _"Not who I expected to be saved by."_ She tore her gaze away and performed a quick scan of the Eye, searching for her sword, but it was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. "Great, just great."

"Looking for this?" Zurdun pulled himself up, holding Clarent in his free hand. A new pillar of rock stood behind him, which he'd used to reach the top.

Morrigan allowed herself to smile in relief. "I owe you one." She took the sword back from her teammate, mentally apologizing to her mother for letting an enemy get their hands on it. Even if it was just for a second.

The sound of a cloud clash caught their attention. Down below Alderic and Winter had started to duel. Each hammering the other with powerful blasts of ice. Zurdun cringed. "Never thought I'd be so happy to see one of the demons. That lady is seriously bad news."

Morrigan scoffed. "Tell me about it." She looked down at the Eye of Skadi, it's crystal shell was all that separated them from Zion. "But I know someone who must be dying for some payback."

Zurdun scrunched his eyebrows. "Zion? He's in there?"

"According to Winter."

"Can we really trust that?" Zurdun asked doubtfully.

Morrigan gestured for him to back off. "Only one way to find out." She raised her sword overhead and promptly began to hack into the crystal, breaking off bits and pieces of it with the blade of her Sacred Sword.

Down below the battle between Winter and Alderic continued.

Winter gathered up the ice around her, compressing it into a single bolt of frost. She stepped forward and launched the orb in a punching motion. "Ice God's Pulse!"

Alderic saw the incoming spell but couldn't do anything to stop it. He raised his arms in front of his face in X formation, allowing the orb to crash into him. He slid back a good yard as ice cut into his arms. He bit his lip to prevent himself from grunting.

Winter cocked an eyebrow at him. "You took that one well, but let's see how you handle this!" She breathed in, her cheeks puffing up. "Ice God's!"

Alderic waved his arm in front of him. "Dark Ice Magic: Ice-"

"Bellow!" Before he could finish Winter hit him with a breath attack, knocking him off his feet and onto the snow.

Alderic rolled to a stop, his chest now throbbing along with the rest of his body. So far the results of their battle had been less than ideal. He rose to his feet, shrugging off the pain. "Not bad."

Winter chuckled. "Have a talent for understatement I see."

Alderic crouched down and inhaled, focusing his energy.

"Oh please, your magic is far too slow to land a hit on me," Winter said, rolling her eyes in dramatic fashion.

Alderic ignored her as he closed his eyes. _"Alright, Mobia, time to see what this blessing of yours can do outside of training."_ He spread his magic throughout his entire body, surrounding himself in a black aura.

Winter set a hand on her hip. "What are you doing now?" she asked in annoyance.

"I, Alderic Notre Viktoriya. With the blessing of the Ice Darkness Basilisk. I, The First of Basilisk Guardian. Open the form." The darkness around Alderic transformed into a black T-shirt, which was quickly surrounded by a white coat with a gold lining. A small but still visible Basilisk emblem appeared on the right side of his chest. White armor surrounded both his arms, from the wrist to the shoulder. "Basilisk Guardian Blessing: Eternal Ice Darkness!"

A black mask covered his face, its sole decoration being a single white line where his mouth would be. On the right side, the line formed into a smile, while on the left it bent into a frown. Alderic's aura faded away, yet his body continued to shine.

Winter blinked at him multiple times. "A Basilisk?" She shook her head. "What's your connection to those worms?"

Alderic stretched his arms out horizontally. "Dark Ice Magic: Aphotic Strike!" He created a pair of knives, one in each hand, and charged straight at her with enhanced speed. Before she could even to move, he slashed both blades across her chest in X pattern.

"Ah!" Winter squinted, backpedaling a few times. "What, what did you do to me?"

"Whoever my knife cuts, will immediately be blinded to light," Alderic explained plainly. He bent down and placed his palm on the ground. "Dark Ice Magic: Crystal!" A chunk of ice broke out of the ground in front of her, hitting her in the chest again, managing to throw her into the air.

"Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" Alderic pelted her a dozen icy projectiles while she was in mid-air, tearing her clothes in several places.

Winter fell on her back, staring into the sky aimlessly until her sight returned. She jumped to her feet and seemed to scowl at him, though it was hard to tell while she was wearing her mask. "Ice God's Pulse!" She launched a sphere of ice at Alderic, who narrowly evaded by throwing himself to the side.

Winter raised her other hand overhead, forming a double-sided spear in her hand. "Ice God's Scepter!" She ran straight at him, lunging at his throat before he could regain his balance.

Alderic swatted her spear aside with one knife, taking a step back to regain his balance. He blocked her next three blows in the same manner, before counterattacking by swinging one knife at her head.

Winter ducked under and stab at him again. She kept up the pressure, forcing him onto the defensive with precise attacks, slowly increasing in speed. She finally kicked up a clump of snow, so it hit Alderic in his eyes. She twirled her spear around and stabbed him in his armored wrist, penetrating the armor.

Alderic winced, feeling the sharp point of the spear prick him in the wrist, causing him to drop one of his knife's. He brushed the snow out of his eyes, clearing his vision just in time for him to see Winter's fist hit him in the gut.

"Ice God's Sacred Fist!"

Alderic slid back by a few yards but kept himself standing. "Dark Ice Magic: Bullets!" He hurled a volley of projectiles at her, managing to hit her with two of them. "Dark Ice Magic: Glacier Spear!" He created a long javelin in his hand and threw it.

"Ice God's Holy Heel!" Winter engulfed her foot in ice and spun around, kicking the spear off to the side. An icy mist swirled around her hand, solidifying into a shuriken. "Ice God's Chakram!" She leaped into the air, throwing the shuriken down at him.

Alderic placed his hands on the ground. "Dark Ice Magic: Iceberg Wall!" The Chakram ricocheted off the surface of his barrier, falling onto the ground with a soft thump.

Winter landed on top of the wall, having already sucked in a breath. "Ice God's Bellow!"

Alderic set his foot against the barrier and pushed off it, diving away from the breath attack right before it hit him. He flipped over, managing to land on his feet again. _"She's getting faster."_ He glanced at his armor, feeling his magic being drained away with every passing second. _"While I keep getting slower, I have to end this."_

Winter stalked towards him, covering her hands with another layer of ice.

Alderic formed two fists, his eyes narrowing as she drew close. No more time for caution, he'd have to finish her in one blow. Frosty mist covered his feet. "Eternal Ice Darkness." He jumped high into the air with a boost from his magic, positioning himself above her. A Magic Circle appeared on his masked face, making a pointy shield. He dove down on her, using the mist around his feet as a jet propulsion. "Masquerade Impact Point!"

Winter raised her hands. "Ice God's Sepulcher!" She covered herself in a dome of ice just Alderic touched down. He smashed straight the barrier and plowed into her stomach, so they both hit the floor.

A shockwave of wind and ice shook the room, blowing snow everywhere. The floor beneath them cracked and almost broke away entirely. Eventually, everything settled.

Alderic pulled himself up, his Basilisk Blessing deactivating. He stared down at his defeated opponent. Nodding his satisfaction.

A crack suddenly appeared on Winter's head, spreading throughout the rest of her body, until she shattered into a pile of ice.

Alderic narrowed his eyes. "No."

The rubble from Winter's Sepulcher formed into the shape of a woman, which became Winter. "Impressive, you almost killed me that time." She folded her hands behind her. "Almost being the key word."

Alderic backed away from her. "How did you survive?"

Winter cocked her head and giggled. "Even a simple spell can turn the fight around if used correctly, mortal. Once I cast my Sepulcher, I was hidden from your sight, even if it was only for a moment. I used that opportunity to replace myself with a clone, while I merged with the shell itself."

Alderic gritted his teeth.

"A perfect way to dodge even the most powerful spell with complete ease." Winter covered her hand in ice. "Still, you fought well, for a mortal. Be proud of yourself. Ice God's Pulse!" She blasted Alderic at point-blank range.

"Rgh!" Alderic fell on his back, letting out a groan as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Winter set a hand on her hip and looked up. "Now, to take care of the rest of you." She placed both hands on the ground. A large staircase of black ice leading to the Eye formed in front of her, complete with a fancy railing.

Zurdun backpedaled, glancing back at Morrigan. "I'd hurry it up if I were you."

"Almost there," Morrigan grunted, still hacking away.

Winter began to ascend the narrow staircase leading up, calmly resting a hand on the railing as she went.

Zurdun cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let's _rock_." He clenched a fist. "Pebble Spray!" He levitated a volley of small rocks around himself, before sending them all forward at once.

"Ice God's Mirror!" Winter summoned a transparent shield and held it up in front of her, allowing each pebble to bounce off and clatter onto the ground harmlessly. A small chuckle emitted from her as she reached the halfway point.

Zurdun charged down the stairway to meet her, letting out a roar as he drove his fist into her mirror. "Boulder Smash!" His knuckle broke straight through and connected with her masked face, almost causing her to trip and fall.

Winter grabbed ahold of the railing to brace herself, her mask now crooked with a slight crack forming on the forehead. "Savage brute." She tightened her hold on the railing and kicked with both legs. "Ice God's Holy Heel!" She hit him twice in the chin, dazing him for a second. She set her feet down and released the railing. "Ice God's Sacred Fist!" In Zurdun's moment of confusion, she pounded him in the gut.

Zurdun gritted his teeth and endured each hit, refusing to give so much as one inch. "Re-quip!" He called his pickaxe to his right hand and swung it at her.

Winter ducked the blow, leaving her open to a kick that knocked her down a step.

Zurdun grabbed onto his weapon with both hands. "Sorry, but Zion's coming back with us." He advanced, attacking her again and again with steady but slow swings of his pickaxe.

Winter ducked, dodged and blocked each hit, but was still put on the retreat, forcing her back down several more stairs.

Zurdun raised his pickaxe overhead and yelled, swinging down at her with all his strength.

Winter hopped to the next stair down, letting his weapon smash into the step in front of her, damaging it significantly. She grabbed ahold of the railing and narrowed her eyes.

Zurdun raised an eyebrow at the damaged he'd inflicted. "Maybe I don't need to hit Winter." He lifted his weapon again, before smashing it down on the already cracked stair, breaking it entirely.

The lower portion of the staircase collapsed with it, Winter herself beginning to fall along. "No!" She sprang forward, grabbing Zurdun by the arm.

"Hey! Get off!" Zurdun attempted to shake her off.

Winter tightened her grip, drawing back one foot. "Ice God's Holy Heel!" She kicked her opponent straight in the knee.

Zurdun cried out briefly, collapsing as his leg gave out under him.

Winter let go of his arm, grabbing onto the railing instead. She shimmied up a few feet, before swinging herself over, onto the step above his. "Hm, having trouble?"

Zurdun grabbed his pickaxe. With a yell, he whirled around and charged anew, attacking with another barrage of swings, one of which almost took her head off.

Winter laughed as she continued to evade his clumsy assault. "That the best you can do?"

Zurdun lashed out with a particularly hard blow, but Winter dodged again, causing him to slam his pickaxe into the step above him. His eyes widened. "Oh, crap." The step shattered, along with the rest of the staircase, sending him plunging to the bottom of the room.

Winter cocked her head. "Oops." She raised her arm overhead. "Ice God's!" A large sphere of ice formed in the air above her, hovering directly over Zurdun. She brought her arm down. "Comet!" The meteor dropped down on top of him with a loud crash.

Morrigan grimaced. That had to hurt. She viciously hacked into the last layer of crystal, now covered in cracks that cold mist sprayed out of. "Only a little more…"

"Just what do you hope to accomplish?" Winter asked condescendingly. She set a hand on her hip. "The Eye will simply mend itself with time. You're not going to destroy it by hacking away like a primitive little savage."

Morrigan resisted the urge to scowl at her as she continued her task, opening another crack in the surface.

Winter sighed. "You know, you're not very smart, especially for being Athena's brat." She sauntered over to her. "Do you plan on rescuing Zion? If so, be my guest, you wouldn't last five seconds inside the Eye."

A wry smirk spread across Morrigan's face. "Heh, we'll see about that." She lifted her sword overhead, pointing the tip down at the center of the newly damaged portion of the Eye. She let out a shout, and drove the tip of her sword into the diamond, piercing straight through.

The already fractured section of the Eye finally broke off, opening a large hole in the surface. A blast of ice and snow poured out, blowing past Morrigan's face. She grimaced at the cold sensation.

"The temperature inside is below freezing," Winter commented. She now stood across from her, at the either side of the breach. "You still sure you want to do this?"

Morrigan clenched her jaw. "Oh, I'm sure." She breathed in and dove into the hole, engulfing her entire body in the freezing winds. She hit the floor of the crystal with a soft thud. Igniting Clarent's blade and holding it close, supplying herself with a tiny amount of heat.

The ice and snow were so thick in the air that she could barely see three feet in front of her. Morrigan squinted and intensified her search, but failed to spot anything. She gritted her teeth, leaning closer. Did Winter trick her? Was Zion really somewhere else?

Her gaze stopped on a vague silhouette, almost hidden behind the wind. "Zion!" She yelled in its direction. But there was no movement. She pushed through the frozen air, feeling her body start to shiver the longer it was exposed.

She drew closer to the silhouette, almost running straight into it in her haste. She brushed the snow out of her eyes and squinted again.

As expected, the silhouette was Zion Fox, hanging limply in thick chains. Frost covered most of his body, while his breathing was shallow. A weak moan emitted from him. His eyes opened halfway. "Morrigan?"

The War Goddess nodded in return. "I'm here to get you out." She dispatched his chains with two quick swings of her sword. "Sorry for taking so long. I foolishly allowed my team to engage the wrong opponent."

Zion landed on his feet, chuckling softly. "You're the only woman I know who'd berate herself for not rescuing someone fast enough." The frost covering his body started to melt away. His eyes opened fully. "The only real mistake here is how you dove head first into the Eye."

Morrigan cocked an eyebrow. "It worked, didn't it?

Zion laughed. "Can't argue with that." He looked up at the hole in the Eye. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of this stupid crystal."

Morrigan followed his gaze up to the exit. "Be careful, Winter's outside."

"Of course she is," Zion said, heaving a sigh.

"We can take her," Morrigan said confidently.

"I hope so."

As they were speaking the breach in front of them was suddenly covered by a layer of ice. Leaving the Sapphire as their only source of light. Zion scoffed. "Oh please. Now she's just insulting me."

Morrigan paused, feeling warmth in the air around them. Even the snow in the air started to melt. She turned her head towards her partner.

Steam emitted from Zion's skin, a fierce scowl on his face. An aura of blazing red appeared around him. "Like I'd let myself be stopped by something as fragile as ice." He surrounded his fist in a pool of oozing black magma.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. _"I didn't know he had so much power left. No wonder Marius selected him for the S-class trials."_ She felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist. Her eyes widened. "Wait! Don't-"

Zion tossed her over his shoulder without saying a word. "Magma God's Hatred!" He jumped into the air, smashing through Winter's barrier with one clean punch, sending shards of it flying all over the place. He flew out through the breach, landing on top of the Eye. He cracked his neck. "Ah, good to be back."

Winter's stared at him with widened eyes. "How on earthland did you do that?"

Zion set Morrigan down next to him, ignoring her glare. He took a deep breath, hardening his resolve. "You caught us off guard in Draycott, but I'm ready for you now."

Winter recovered from her shock, her eyes narrowing. "Are you now? We'll see about that."

Zion looked her dead in the eye. "I don't know who you are, or what you are, or why you're doing any of this." He stepped forward, gesturing for Morrigan to stay back. "But what I do know is that you attacked my Guild, dragged countless innocent people into a personal vendetta, and took advantage of my past to do it."

Winter laughed. "So? What are you going to do about it?"

Zion rolled his shoulders. "I think we both know what I'm going to do." He engulfed his hands in magma again.

Winter stretched out her arms. "Oh, I'm sure you'll try."

"Be careful, if what she told me is true, she's been around since the time of the first God Slayers," Morrigan chimed in. "She knows all about First-Generation ones too, including me."

"Is that right?" Zion raised his fists. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a first-gen."

Winter encased her first in a layer of ice. "Foolish boy, I received my training from Skadi herself. Do you really think your self-teaching measures up?" she asked mockingly.

Zion shrugged. "Guess we're about to find out."

Winter screamed in determination and charged. "Ice God's Sacred Fist!"

"Magma God's Hatred!" Zion ran to meet her charge. Each of their punches collided in a thunderous clash of energy. Hot and cold wind blew in every direction, upsetting the snow and sending it blowing all over the place.

Morrigan shielded her face with her arms. Her gaze shifted up the sky above, with winter clouds now spanning as far as the eye could see. _"The Eye can't be far from enveloping the entire country. We have to stop this, and fast."_ But before that, they had one stubborn obstacle to overcome. She returned her attention to the duel. _"Only your magic stands a chance, good luck Zion."_

Winter slide back from the impact, mild surprise visible in her eyes. She jumped off the edge of the Eye, taking a deep breath. "Ice God's!"

Zion did the same. "Magma God's!"

"Bellow!"

 **Up next: Eye of Skadi Concludes**


	31. Eye of Skadi Concludes

**Hello again everyone! Thank you for the feedback, it's always appreciated. This chapter will finish up the arc, hopefully, in a satisfying fashion. I don't know why it took me so long to get through this arc, but hopefully it won't happen in the future. This chapter is a little longer than others, but since it took me so long to update, I figured that wouldn't be a problem.  
**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

June 8 X784

Alderic coughed loudly, consciousness returning to him all at once. He sat up straight and coughed again. The pain lingered throughout most of his body, coupled with a feeling of weariness. _"I used up too much magic in that battle."_

He took in his surroundings, confused as he found himself in the Blackwood's lounge. He noticed his fedora sitting on the ground next to him and snatched it up, putting it back on. "I suppose I should thank you." His gaze shifted to the left, where a familiar maroon haired woman sat.

Morrigan had positioned herself in front of the still unconscious Zurdun, her sword resting on her lap. "Tch, you helped me, so I returned the favor," she said bluntly. "Nothing else to it."

"Obviously," Alderic replied. A loud boom shook the floor, drawing both wizard's attention to the door behind them. "Seems she yet lives." He started to stand.

Morrigan took up her sword and pointed it at him. "No sudden movements," she warned. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

Alderic sat back down. Fighting her would be a pointless endeavor. Especially when a much bigger threat remained.

Morrigan climbed to her feet. Her face betraying mild pain. "What's Demon Fang even want here anyways?" She narrowed her eyes. "Looking to take the Eye for yourselves."

"No, we're here to destroy it," Alderic answered calmly.

Morrigan's lips bent into a half-frown. "Really?" she asked, doubt thick in her tone. "I find that hard to believe."

Alderic closed his eyes. "Believe what you want, it makes no difference to me."

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two, broken by the constant shouting from the battle outside. Morrigan let out an exaggerated sigh. "Regardless, we seem to have the same enemy."

Alderic opened his eyes. "Indeed, we do." Another minute of silence ticked past. Neither wishing to extend an olive branch, even temporarily. Alderic pushed himself to his feet, his gaze fixed on the far door. "Amelia."

"Who?" Morrigan asked warily.

"I was sent here with another wizard named Amelia," Alderic explained. "She might be able to tip the scales in favor of your friend."

Morrigan tightened her grip on Clarent. "We're supposed to trust her?"

"Not even I trust her," Alderic said dryly. "But she knows what kind of threat Winter poses. She'll see reason."

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Magma God's Hatred!" Zion ran forward, bringing his fists to bear against his opponent, striking her on the cheek.

Winter stumbled to the side, her eyes narrowing. She ducked under the next punch and sidestepped another. "Ice God's Holy Heel!" She swept Zion's legs out from under him. Once he fell on his back, she raised her foot overhead and stomped on his gut.

Zion gagged, feeling the wind get knocked out of him. He clenched his fists tighter and dealt a quick punch to her stomach, managing to push her off of him. He sat up and breathed in. "Magma God's Bellow!"

Winter launched herself to the side as the breath attack brushed past her, igniting the edge of her clothes. She slid to a stop, hurriedly patting out the flames.

Zion rose back to his feet and charged again. "Take this!" His arm collided with her neck, throwing her to the side.

Winter managed to stay on her feet, rotating herself to face him as he advanced again. She raised an arm and made a few quick gestures. "Ice God's Frost Mirror!"

Zion channeled more energy into her fist and slammed his fist into the surface of the mirror, causing the entire thing to crack. He brought his other arm forward, this time breaking through the shield and hitting Winter again.

"Ah! You little!" Winter raised her other arm and started to make another gesture.

Zion stepped through the hole in her mirror and pursued, attacking before she could finish her spell.

Winter dodged and ducked each of his punches, backpedaling with measured steps. She stopped when she'd reached a thick snowbank, placing her foot against the side of it. When the next blow came, she spun out of the way, kicking a clump of snow into his face.

Zion shut his eyes and grunted. The snow covered both his eyelids, making it impossible to see. He brushed reached up and brushed it away, clearing his vision just in time to see Winter deliver a powerful kick to his head.

"Ice God's Holy Heel!" Winter set her leg down and covered both hands in frost. "Ice God's Sacred Fist!" She drove both fists into his gut.

Zion slid back by over a yard, biting his lip to prevent himself from showing too much pain.

Winter began to put distance between them.

Zion's brow creased. Why would she fall back, when she was doing so well? _"Intense heat must be her weakness."_ He covered his feet in a layer of magma. _"Guess I'll have to find out."_ He renewed his charge. "Magma God's Rage!"

"Ice God's Arrow Volley!" Winter cried.

Zion ran straight through the barrage of icicles, allowing several icicles to hit and open shallow cuts. He finally closed in and delivered a kick to Winter's shoulder.

"Ugh!" Winter backed away, a deep frown forming on her face. She started to evade again, her frustration growing.

Zion clipped her nose with another kick before his spell was deactivated and he had to set his leg back down. He slammed both hands onto the ground. "Magma God's Eruption!"

The snow beneath Winter's feet melted. She gasped and jumped away. A geyser of lava blasted out the ground in front of her, melting most of the snow around it. She stopped a few yards away and exhaled. "Well slave seems like you missed."

Zion crossed his arms and smirked.

Winter's eyes narrowed. "What're you so happy about?" The ground rumbled, even the water around her started to evaporate. Another two geysers burst out of the floor, one on each side of her. "Ahh!"

"Magma God's Sin!' Zion summoned a rotating disc of lava to his hands and threw it at her as the eruption continued.

Winter noticed the attack coming and clasped her hands together. "Ice God's Sepulcher!" She wrapped a sheet of ice around herself, allowing the disc to break through and hit her body.

Zion's mind flashed back to their first fight in Draycott. He backed away. "This again!"

Winter formed a new body out of the rubble, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Aren't you the clever little slave," she spat, scowling at him. She flicked her wrist. "Ice God's Prison!" A circle appeared underneath Zion. Twelve bars of ice extended out of the ground, forming a makeshift cage.

Zion narrowed his eyes. Odd move for her. "Magma God's Hatred!" He covered his fists in lava and punched the nearest bar, cracking it significantly. A second blow shattered it completely.

Winter positioned her arm, so her palm faced the ceiling. "God Slayer Secret Art!" A vortex of pure black energy formed in her hand. Growing bigger as it absorbed more of her magic.

Zion gasped, and began to quicken his punches, breaking through another two bars, creating a gap big enough for him to squeeze through.

"Ninth Circle Cataclysm!" Winter cried. She aimed her arm at Zion. The vortex expanded, before bellowing out a laser of black energy.

Zion attempted to dodge, but the beam still caught him on the shoulder, freezing his entire left arm solid. He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out.

Winter lowered her arm, her shoulders slumping. "Lucky mortal," she grumbled.

Zion fell to his knees and panted. He set his free hand on his shoulder, beginning the process of melting the ice confining his arm.

Winter stared up into the sky, opening her mouth.

Zion watched her warily. _"What is she doing?"_

Winter breathed in deeply, sucking up the snow and ice in the air.

Zion shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me."

Winter continued for nearly a minute before stopping. Her lips bent up into a broad smile. "Ah, much better." She set a hand on her stomach. "That should give me more than enough energy to defeat you."

Zion melted off the last of the ice, freeing up his arm. _"So, she can use the Eye as an infinite source of energy."_ His gaze shifted up to the crystal. _"Guess that makes my objective clear."_

Winter narrowed her eyes. "Don't think it'll be so easy." She waved her arm. "Ice God's Quake!" A crystal broke out of the ground beneath Zion, colliding with his chest and sending him flying.

Zion winced, landing on his feet ten yards back. He covered his uninjured arm in magma and thrust it upward, shooting a stream of lava into the air. "Magma God's Sadness!" The stream broke into a rain of lava that showered down on Winter.

She weaved through the rain, suffering a few minor burns on her right leg. She spun around, gathering up the winds around her. "Come northern wind and blanket the world in your cold embrace! Ice God's Dance!" She spun around again, this time releasing two waves of ice in Zion's direction.

He sidestepped the first blast but the second caught him on the leg, knocking it out from under him, so he fell on his face. He lifted his head, spitting out a mouthful of snow.

Winter raised her arm overhead, conjuring up a spinning blade of frost. "Ice God's Chakram!" She grabbed the shuriken and hurled it at him.

Zion smacked it aside with the back of his hand, causing it to fall on the snow with a soft thump. "I've seen enough. Time to get serious." A wave of heat emitted from his body, reducing all nearby snow into a puddle.

Winter rolled her eyes. "Give it your best try mortal," she drawled, unimpressed. She set a hand on her chest. "With my training and the Eye of Skadi, you don't even stand a chance."

Zion crouched down, engulfing both his hands and feet in a layer of oozing black magma. "Heh, we'll see about that." He launched himself forward, letting out a yell as he closed in.

Winter smirked. "Seems we will." She covered her foot in a layer of ice, lifting it off the ground. "Ice God's Quake!" She stamped her foot down, sending forth a second wave of crystals.

Zion took a deep breath, looking down at the floor. "Magma God's Bellow!" He spewed a stream of lava downward, propelling himself into the air, passing over the attack with ease. He ceased the attack and began to descend, coming down directly on top of Winter. "Magma God's Rage!" He engulfed his foot in lava as he fell.

Winter hopped out the way, so he crashed down in front of her, cracking the floor beneath him. She backpedaled, drawing back her arm. A wave of ice extended from her hand and formed into a hammer. "Ice God's Verdict!" With one swing, she struck Zion on the side, throwing him to the left.

Zion skidded to a stop, gritting his teeth to stifle the pain. "Magma God's Incinerator!" He tossed a lump of magma at his opponent, hitting her on the thigh and igniting the cloth covering it.

"Ah!" Winter fell back, quickly patting out the flames. The hammer fell onto the ground behind her and dissipated.

Zion ran at her again, this time hitting her on the side of the head with a well-placed kick. While she was recovering, he bent down and slammed his palm into the floor. "Magma God's Eruption!" Three geysers of lava burst out of the ground all around them, enveloping the area in a thick layer of heat.

Winter screamed again, falling to her knees as new burns formed across her body. The edge of her robes ignited, forcing her to smother them before they could spread.

Zion formed a fist. "Magma God's Hatred!"

"Ice God's Scepter!" Winter formed a spear of ice at the last second, knocking Zion's punch off course with a precise spin of the weapon. She rose, as the geysers around her started to dissipate. "Gaze of the Ice God." The Eye of Skadi glowed brighter, three layers of magic circles appeared on the surface, aimed directly at Zion.

He backed away. _"This can't be good."_

Winter narrowed her eyes. "Prepare to die, slave." She pointed at him. A bright blue laser fired from the Eye, illuminating the room in blinding light.

"Magma God's Eruption!" Another three pillars of lava rose up the ground, this time in front of Zion, serving as a shield.

The laser hit, triggering an explosion of ice and steam that shook the entire auditorium. Though Zion's makeshift barrier held at first, the laser soon ate through the magma and hit the wizard head on.

Zion shielded himself with his arms, yelling as pain rocked his senses. Both his legs were frozen to the ground along with a portion of his waist. He lowered his arms and panted. Most of his magic drained from the attempt to stop the spell.

Winter smirked. "Having a little trouble? Ice God's Scepter!" She summoned another spear of ice to her right hand, sauntering over to her opponent. "Don't worry, it'll be quick." She drew her spear back to strike.

Zion leaned away from her. _"This isn't good!"_

"Firestorm!" A tornado of fire descended from above and hit Winter on her right side, enveloping her in an intense blaze.

Zion blinked at the scene. Not quite what he expected. He glanced up at the balcony, where a collection of Demon Fang wizards had gathered.

Four of them stood in front of the others, their hands ablaze with orange flames. "Looks like that takes care of her," one of them remarked.

Zion glanced at the inferno uneasily. He seriously doubted that was enough to kill her.

"What about the other one?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Amelia glanced down at Zion absentmindedly. "He's of no use to us," she said bluntly. "Kill him."

Zion sighed. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The first wizard nodded and signaled to the others. They all took aim at him. "Firestorm!" They launched a second tornado of fire, this time hitting him, melting Winter's ice in the process.

Zion exhaled in relief. At least he didn't have to free himself now. He stepped out of the flames, unharmed by their heat. "You're going to try a little bit harder than that!" he called up to them.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Seems we will." She signaled to a second group. "We'll be sure not to disappoint this time."

Zion crossed his arms. "Oh, you've got bigger problems than me."

"And what would that be?"

A bolt of ice flew out of the fire and nailed one of her wizards. Drawing the rests attention over to the blaze. Winter strolled out of the flames, covered in icy armor. She snapped once, causing it to shatter. "Why do mortals keep getting in my wave. Ice God's Pulse!" She took down another three wizards with a second sphere.

"Ugh, kill her!" Amelia ordered.

Demon Fang moved to obey, vaulting over the railing and charging their opponent. Some stopping to blast away with spells of various elements.

Zion backed away as Winter engaged them. At the very least, their arrival had bought him a little time to recover. His eyebrows furrowed. _"If I just had a bit more magic, I think I could take her. But where could I get that?"_

Above, on the balcony, Amelia pushed her mother forward, holding the doll that contained her hair in her free hand. "Congratulations mother, you finally get to be of use to me."

Elena didn't respond. Instead, she stared at the crystal wide-eyed. "It really is a weapon then? How, confusing," she whispered to herself. Her eyebrows scrunched. "And given to us by the very woman who uses it now, heh, seems I'm losing my edge."

Amelia scoffed. "Implying you ever had it to begin." She came to a stop directly across from the Eye of Skadi. "Now, whatever this is, you're going to destroy it."

Elena relaxed her shoulders. "So glad that you still have faith in me, darling."

Amelia bit her lip as her anger bubbled up inside her. "Just do as I say." She untied Elena's hands and took a step back, using her to doll to prevent her from moving.

Elena glanced at her innocently. "But Amy, I need my arms free to cast a spell. If you want this plan to succeed, you're going to have to put down that doll."

"Right, the moment I do that you'd kill me and make a run for it," Amelia replied coolly.

Elena cocked her head and smiled. "Seems you'll have to take that chance. Assuming you want to destroy this thing anyway."

Amelia grinned wryly. "That's where you're wrong, mother." She grabbed ahold of her dolls arms and began to move them. "I took the liberty of memorizing all the hand motions you made during our little scuffle. All you need to do is cast the appropriate spell."

Elena's eyes widened. "How did you…" She frowned. "Doesn't matter, I'm still in control of what spell I cast. Your little dolly can't change that."

"True, but I have a feeling you'll want to go along with me," Amelia stated calmly. She manipulated the doll into punching itself, giggling at her mother did the same. "Unless you want to endure a slow, painful death at your own hand."

Elena's gritted her teeth, seemingly at the verge of losing control. But instead, she relaxed into a smile. "Such cruelty, seems you have more of me in you than I thought."

Amelia winced. "Shut up," she growled, forcing her mother to look away. "I want you to raise the temperature of your magma, heat it up enough to melt the Eye."

"As you wish," Elena said with exaggerated obedience. Her arms began to move as her daughter forced them to make the appropriate hand motions. As they moved a giant orb of magma formed between her hands. "Lava Bomb!" She launched the spell at the Eye, hitting it on the side.

Despite a direct hit, the Eye displayed no visible signs of damage. Amelia gaped at the scene. "How did that not do anything!"

"Did you know that diamonds are one of the few substances on the planet that can't be melted by lava?" Elena asked casually.

"Of course I know that!" Amelia snapped back. She pointed at her. "But that shouldn't matter to you, not when you have the ability to increase the magma's temperature."

"I did my part," Elena answered. She closed her eyes. "You shouldn't be so quick to point fingers, it's rather rude."

Amelia ran a hand through her hair. What else could be the problem? She shook her head. _"The problem is irrelevant, what I need to know is the solution."_ She looked back over her shoulder. Just in time to witness the last of her men hit the ground.

Winter dusted herself off. "Little pests." Her attention returned to Zion. "Looks like they bought you a couple extra minutes."

"How nice of them," Zion said jokingly. He raised his fists and assumed a fighting stance.

Amelia set a hand on her chin. _"Interesting, she seems more or less unfazed by my presence, despite me attempting to destroy the Eye, while she grants him her undivided attention. Why would that be?"_

Zion breathed in. "Magma God's Bellow!" He exhaled a sharp blast of lava.

"Ice God's Frost Mirror!"

Amelia smirked. So, that was it, she glanced at the crystal from the corner of her eye. It took a God Slayer to inflict damage. She tightened her grip on her doll. "Seems I'll have to help the enemy for once. Lucky angel." She forced her mother to walk up to her side.

Elena found her arms moving again, repeating the same motions as before. Her eyes narrowed. "You want me to feed your enemy?"

Amelia closed her eyes. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." She finished the hand motions.

"Lava Bomb!" Elena launched a second blast of magma straight into Zion, so it splashed against his chest and fell to the ground in front of him, forming a large puddle.

Zion stared at the scene in front of him, scratching the back of his head.

Amelia narrowed her eyes. "For crying out loud, you're a Slayer you fool! Drink it already!" she screamed at him, running up to the edge of the balcony.

Winter glanced up at them. "Ah, seems I'll have to take you down after all." She snapped. "Ice God's Comet!"

Amelia attempted to flee, but the meteor hit the floor behind her and caused the entire balcony to collapse onto the snow below. Both women were thrown in opposite directions in the process.

Zion bent down. Drinking lava, never something he'd had the opportunity to do before. The very prospect seemed a little strange. He lowered his head and began to suck up the puddle. Energy poured back into his veins and strength returned to his limbs. Even his injuries started to pain him a little less. He clenched a fist. "Heh, what do you know."

Winter bit her lip, positioning herself for battle. "A simple power boost won't defeat me mortal." She clasped her hands together. "Ice God's Blizzard!" A blast of snow poured out of her hands.

Zion took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing up as he called on his newfound energy. "Magma God's Bellow!" He breathed out a stream of lava, wider and hotter than his previous attempts. It melted through Winter's spell and slammed into her.

Winter let out a short cry as she was thrown across the room, tumbling to a stop underneath the Eye.

Zion whistled. He'd never used a breath attack that powerful before. His gaze lowered to his hands. An idea slowly dawning on him. He folded his hands and breathed in, focusing his energy into his hands. "Magma God's Wrath!"

Lava poured out his hands and onto the floor in front of him, where it swirled up and formed into the shape a demon. One that stood at twice the height of its caster. It let out a mighty roar and moved with purpose in the direction of Zion's opponent.

Winter sat up, rubbing her forehead. "What are you doing now?" She climbed to her feet. "Whatever it is, I'll destroy it." She formed an orb of ice on her palm and launched it at the demon. "Ice God's Pulse!"

The sphere evaporated the moment it touched the demon. Which moved forward without a moment's pause, drawing within striking range of the opposing Slayer.

Winter gaped at the sight. "You've got to be kidding me."

The demon lifted an arm of magma overhead before clobbering the woman under its fist. A shockwave of heat emitted from the force of the blow.

Zion narrowed his eyes. No way it was over yet. He mentally commanded the demon to attack again, and again, pounding the ground in front of it.

Winter continued to screech and yelp at every devastating blow. She rolled away from the monster, creating another sphere of ice on her palm. "God Slayer Secret Art: Holy Lotus Whiteout!" She brought her other fist down and crushed the orb, sending a wave of icy mist flying out in every direction.

The demon roared again as it came into contact with the fog. Though it held on for a moment, it ultimately collapsed into a puddle of black magma.

Zion lowered his arms and sighed. "Still kicking, huh?" He raised his fists. "You're one resilient chick."

Winter limped forward, cackling under her breath. "It's easy to be persistent when your own body isn't on the line." She set a hand on her chest. "If this vessel is destroyed I'll just migrate to a new one. And luckily for me, several excellent candidates have all gathered in this building."

Zion shook his head. "Afraid I can't let you do that."

Winter set a hand on her hip and grinned. "And what are you going to do to stop me." She pointed at him. "Gaze of the Ice God!" Three layers of magic circles appeared on the surface of the crystal.

Zion crouched down, keeping his gaze locked on Winter. "Oh, I've got a pretty good idea." He jumped out of the way of the Eye's first beam. Skidding to a stop ten yards back.

The Eye took aim again and fired a second ray, narrowly missing as Zion dove out of the way a moment before it hit. This trend continued for another six blasts until the entire room was covered in a thick fog of snow.

Winter squinted into the cloud but couldn't see anything. Her muscles tensed as she realized what she'd just done. "Where are you?" She caught sight of a shadow a little to her right, moving in her direction. She gasped and pointed. "There you are!"

The Eye zeroed in on her target and glowed brighter as it prepared to fire.

"This time I'll blow to pieces!" Winter declared.

The shadow raised a fist overhead before slamming it into the floor. "Magma God's Eruption!" Zion called out through the fog.

Winter cringed. "Not this." The snow behind her rapidly melted. She jumped forward to escape the eruption that soon followed, sliding to a stop right next to a second geyser. She leaped away again before taking damage.

She exhaled in relief. Another of those accursed eruptions and she really would be in trouble. Winter glanced back up at Zion to see that he was now within fifteen yards. "You tricked me into coming to you, how clever," she mused, pointing at him. "But ultimately fruit-"

A final pillar of lava erupted behind her. Winter screamed, instinctively jumping forward to escape the heat. Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

Zion smirked, surrounding his fist in a thick layer of lava. "Magma God's!" He drew his arm back.

Winter landed in front of him, attempting to raise a defense spell.

"Hatred!" Zion slammed a punch into her already burned face with such force, that she flew into the air. He sucked in a deep breath, channeling all of his energy into his lungs. "Magma God's Bellow!" A river of magma blasted out of his mouth, hitting Winter and sending her flying into the Eye.

Zion kept up the pressure, pinning her against the crystal shell. As he continued his newly replenished magic began to fade. He narrowed his eyes and intensified the attack, ignoring the growing coldness in his stomach.

Cracks formed along the surface of the Eye, releasing multiple blasts of cold air. The glow around the crystal wavered for a moment. While the storm became grew wild and untamed. Zion pressed on, putting the last of his energy into the breath attack.

Finally, the crystal shell broke, allowing Zion's breath attack to pass inside and hit the sapphire directly. It held on for only a moment before exploding in a blast of bright blue energy. Zion turned away and covered his eyes.

Eventually, the light faded. Zion opened his eyes and looked up. But the Eye of Skadi was no more. The clouds above parted and the snow immediately ceased. Zion's lips tugged up into a smile. He lowered his gaze to the ground.

A pile of crystal and ice littered the auditorium. Lying atop it all, was Winter, staring up into the sky with widened eyes. "Impossible," she gasped. Her body suddenly convulsed, her mouth opening wide as if to scream.

Zion took a step back. _"What on earthland?"_

A blue flame poured out of Winter's mouth, floating up into the air where it vanished into nothingness. Winter's body went limp, though her eyes remained open.

Zion blinked. Unsure of what he should even think of that. He inched closer to his downed opponent, coming to a stop right next to her. He nudged her with his foot.

Winter moaned in obvious pain. Her eyes opened halfway, but no longer had any malice in them. "What, where am I?" she asked in a bewildered tone. "What happened to me, I."

Zion raised an eyebrow. Did she seriously not remember a thing. He hesitated for a moment, before speaking. "Is, that you, Isabella?"

"I, think so," Isabella replied, reaching up to rub her forehead. "Uh, why am I in so much pain? What happened to me?"

Zion snorted. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He sat down on the ground next to her, folding his hands in front of him. "What's the last thing you remember."

Isabella managed to sit up. "The manor, I remember, a fire and, running and…" She trailed off as she got a good look at Zion. Her expression turned sour. "You! You're the one who-"

"Yeah, yeah, it was me," Zion said dismissively. "Forgive me for wanting to save myself from your idiocy."

Isabella gaped at him. "How, dare you! Ow." She grimaced. "I am the daughter of the Blackwood family!"

Zion rolled his eyes. "Mommy and daddy can't you anymore, princess." He set his hand on the ground and pushed himself to his feet. "Besides, you've got bigger problems." He gestured towards the crystal.

Isabella scowled at him. "What are you talking about?" She glanced at the crystal, catching sight of her reflection. Her jaw dropped in shock.

"You've been out of our misery for quite a while now," Zion said. He looked up at the sky. "Well, somewhat."

"I don't understand, how could this happen?" Isabella asked, her voice shaking.

Zion shrugged. "I have no idea. What's the last thing you remember."

Isabella bowed her head, her gaze was transfixed on her reflection. "It was after the manor burned, I escaped and wandered into the mountains where I, found something. A cave and I." She sighed. "It gets hazy after that."

Zion crossed his arms, eyeing her warily. Could she actually be telling the truth? Or was this all some elaborate lie of hers? He tightened her jaw. Didn't matter, she deserved her whatever she got, one way or another.

A low moan emitted from the balcony rubble. Followed by a slight rumbling. Elena pushed a pile of rock off her and climbed out from underneath.

Zion huffed at her. "Oh goody, your mothers decided to join the party." He crossed his arms. "And boy, have you got some explaining to do."

Isabella continued to stare at her reflection. He doubted that she even heard him.

Elena crawled over to them, collapsing on the snow in exhaustion. "What, what are you talking about?" asked between breaths.

Zion pointed at the destroyed crystal with his thumb. "Where the heck did you get this thing?"

Elena's lips bent into a frown. "We had no idea this thing was an artifact of any kind. We assumed it was a mere diamond. As for how we got our hands on it, it was a gift," she answered firmly. "Or, to be precise, a trade. We gave a client of ours information, in exchange for the artifact itself."

"Your client? You mean Winter?" Zion couldn't think of anyone else who would trade away the crystal.

Elena shrugged. "It would seem so."

Zion narrowed his eyes. "What information did you give her?"

Elena glanced back at the rubble. "I'll tell you, in exchange for your protection, from my, less than pleasant daughter."

Isabella finally looked up, staring at her blankly.

Zion smirked. "Relax, she's not much of a threat anymore."

Elena shook her head. "Not her, my birth daughter."

Zion recalled Amelia. Now that he thought about, the two looked similar. He set a hand on his forehead. "Seems we have you to thank for another of our problems." He sighed. "Fine, tell me what information you gave Winter, and I'll make sure she keeps her distance."

"Thank you." Elena smiled sweetly. "To answer your question, I gave my client a file, containing the names, and locations, of every known God Slayer in Earthland."

Zion blinked. "What?"

"Before you ask, I have no idea why she wanted it," Elena said plainly. "Or what she did with the folder after she found it."

Zion narrowed his eyes. What would she want from that? He shook his head. It didn't matter, she was dead now. Whatever she wanted must've died with her.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Morrigan glanced at the door. All the sudden, the noise had stopped. The tip of her sword lowered to the ground, coming to rest on the carpeted floor.

"Seems the fighting's stopped," Alderic commented.

"I guess so," Morrigan agreed. She looked back at him and frowned. "But let's not jump to conclusions on who won." She heard a low groan come behind her and turned around, seeing Zurdun starting to stir. "Hey, you alright?"

Zurdun reached up and rubbed his forehead. "I'll live, hopefully."

"Glad to hear it," Morrigan answered. Hearing footsteps, she turned back at Alderic and raised her sword again. "Don't even think about it."

Alderic had reached the door and set his hand on the knob. "If I wanted to kill you, I'd have done it when you looked away," he said dryly. He turned the knob and gave the door a hearty shove open.

Morrigan bit her lip, grumbling to herself as she followed. She stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. "Sure you'll okay?"

Zurdun nodded. "I'll be fine, check on Zion."

Morrigan returned the nod as she stepped into the auditorium. Most noticeably, the Eye no longer hung overhead. Now it laid below in a pile of rubble. A portion of the balcony had been shattered, and the snow had finally stopped. A small smile graced her lips as she admired the scene.

"Your wizard proved capable," Alderic acknowledged. His stride never slowed as he made his way across the room.

Morrigan scoffed. "Of course he did." She peered around him, seeing Zion standing near the remains of the Eye. _"Pulled it off after all, well done."_

Alderic came to a stop, his gaze fixed on the balcony. Where most of his men laid unconscious. "This is where we go our separate ways." He tipped his hat. "Been a pleasure."

Morrigan tightened her grip on Clarent. "Yeah, a real honor," she said sarcastically. "Just don't think you're off the hook for what you did at Mt. Hakobe."

Alderic took one step forward when he paused. "I protected a noble creature from an untimely demise. I fail to see what I have to pay for."

"Injuring my team, defending a monster," Morrigan countered. She turned her gaze away from him and over to Zion. But continued to scowl nonetheless. "All for the sake of money and magical power."

Alderic chuckled. "You say that, yet you would've slain them all, merely to complete a job." He folded his hands behind him. "How is that any different?"

Morrigan sneered. Did he seriously compare her to the likes of him? "For starters, I don't belong to a Guild and thieves and murderers."

"The Council is no better than us angel," Alderic retorted. He began to walk away, his head bowing. "Believe me, I know."

.

June 9 X784

.

Rune Knights swarmed the area in the near hundreds, assisted by military personnel. A perimeter was established outside the Manor, and everyone involved was gathered inside for extensive questioning. Divided from each other during the process.

By the end, every aspect of their story was analyzed in a dozen different ways, and compared to the stories of everyone else. In the end, there were enough eye witnesses to prove everything Angel Wing reported. The Blackwood Family was stripped of their noble status and convicted for possession of an illegal artifact, and for housing a dangerous fugitive. Elena herself was condemned for the crimes she committed in Serpent Fang, while Isabella, despite her claims, was arrested for Winter's actions, both were promptly scheduled for transport to maximum-security prison.

Lord Blackwood, on the other hand, after recovering from his injuries, was seen as a mere accomplice by comparison and instead sent to an ordinary prison in Crocus. Demon Fang left, long before any of that came to fruition. Disappearing amidst the confusion.

The team themselves were held throughout the night for questioning, released in the morning after the facts were established. It didn't take long, as both the King and Magic Council seemed eager to put the event behind them.

"You can't do this!" Isabella protested, struggling against the Rune Knights iron grips. "I'm not her!"

Zion watched from across the street with a steely expression. Saying nothing as she was dragged into the prison carriage. Winter or not, she'd committed too many crimes to be allowed to go free.

Isabella scowled at him through the barred carriage window. "You! You'll pay this! I swear I'll-" She tripped as the carriage pulled away, trotting down the street leading to the city exit.

Zion closed his eyes. Part of him felt satisfied that she was finally going to pay, yet another part of him felt guilty that it was for crimes she might not have committed. He turned around.

The rest of the team lingered behind him. No one spoke as they all watched him. Even Kayden held her tongue for a second.

Zion forced a smile. "Well, what are we sticking around here for? I'm about ready to go home."

The team relaxed at his words. Kayden finally burst. "I know! Imagine the looks on everyone's faces when we tell them about this adventure! I bet nobody in the Guild's defeated an ancient God Slayer and stopped her from casting eternal winter on the world before!"

Morrigan rolled her eyes as she rambled. "You certainly didn't, you left before the battle even started."

Kayden stopped in the middle of her rant and frowned. "Well, I would've helped if _someone_ hadn't sent me away."

Morrigan cocked an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with that?" she asked in a dangerously calm tone.

Kayden's mouth snapped shut.

Morrigan turned away. "That's what I thought."

Kayden stuck a tongue out at her while her back was turned.

Julie set a hand on each of the girl's shoulders. "If you ask me, we should all celebrate with a-"

"Drink?" Zurdun interjected sarcastically.

Julie shrugged. "You object?"

"Oh no, the second we get back the Guildhall I'm drinking myself into a stupor," Zurdun said with a hint of humor in his tone. He set a hand on his chest. "And this time, I'm going to outdrink you."

Julie grinned. "Oh, will you now?"

"Please don't encourage her!" Kayden groaned.

Zion chuckled at the team's antics. The tension he'd felt since being kidnapped started to melt away. "Better not keep you waiting, let's get on the first train ride home." The team broke off in the direction of the train station.

Zion stopped once to glance back at the Manor, before looking away and following along, leaving the shadow of the Blackwood's behind.

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

Alderic's party walked down the hidden path leading to the Demon Fang Guildhall. Few were in a good mood after the conflict. Least of all Amelia. He looked over at her.

She walked with an uncharacteristically sad air about her. Now back in normal clothing with her hands in her pockets and head bowed. No one dared strike up a conversation with her. Fearing her sadness would turn into anger if they did.

Alderic looked away and sighed. No doubt upset her parents didn't die in whatever way she envisioned. He shoved open the Castle doors.

"Welcome home," Akita greeted, licking her lips. "Master seemed quite upset by the sudden snowfall. I hope he's not too angry with you. Otherwise, the honor of punishing you might not be mine."

Alderic rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too Akita." He let the rest of his men in before closing the door behind them. His gaze drifted over the stairs. Time to the face the music, he supposed. Before he could take even a step forward, Amelia gestured for him to stop.

"I'll give the report," she murmured under her breath.

Alderic blinked. What an odd thing for her to do. "I led this mission, I should give the report."

Amelia turned her back on him. "The plan was my idea, he should hear it from me." She took off towards the stairs, leaving him and everyone else confused.

Akita set a hand on her chin. "That's unlike her, she almost always tries to avoid my punishments." She pouted. Staring at the ceiling with a hint of jealousy. "Why doesn't she try to avoid master's?"

Alderic ignored her. He doubted Amelia was actually taking the blame, if anything she probably wanted to find a way to benefit from the situation. She might be sad for the moment, but she'd bounce back with a vengeance.

He opened the door and stepped back outside. Regardless, he could use a break after that job. He walked a moderate distance away from the Guildhall, enjoying the forest scenery. He closed his eyes, going over everything that'd happened.

 _"Winter was our strongest opponent yet, but she won't be the last. The Council, Angel Wing, the Barom Alliance,"_ Alderic clenched a fist. One thing was sure. He would have to become stronger to face them all.

The bushes behind him suddenly rustled for no apparent reason. He came to a stop and listened. The soft but distinct sound of a footstep reaching his ears. He spun around and punched, but to his surprise, the figure caught his fist before it could make contact.

The woman stood an inch shorter than him at 5'8 with a lean and slender built. Her chest was medium sized, and she had pale skin like the moon. She smiled impishly as she pushed his arm down. "As brutish as ever I see."

Alderic's eyes widened. "Irina! What are you still doing here?" He glanced over his shoulder nervously.

"Relax, nobody followed me, I made sure of that before approaching," Irina assured him, tucking a few strands of her wavy black hair behind her ear. "I was on my way home when it started snowing. And you seemed concerned at the end of our last rendezvous, so I decided to check on you."

Alderic let out a breath. "I appreciate that. But if you're caught out here they'll-"

"I know," Irina said with a sigh. Her outfit consisted of a white trench coat with blue stripes on the edges, while underneath it was a navy blue short sleeved blouse, black skinny jeans, and sneakers of a matching color. "I still can't believe you joined such horrid men."

"You know why I did," Alderic whispered.

Irina closed her eyes. "The Council made a horrible, horrible mistake, but that doesn't excuse waging war on everyone connected to them! There has to be a better way to avenge your parents."

"No, Demon Fang are the ones," Alderic said firmly. He folded his arms. "Surely you must agree that the Council should be disbanded."

"If they really ordered your parents execution, they deserve that and more," Irina agreed. She set her hands on her hip and looked him in the eye. "But you better not let them go too far. Or else you're not going to be any better than the Council."

Alderic rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Irina set a hand on his shoulder. "I know, I know, but I worry."

Alderic glanced at her hand. The back of which displayed the mark of Lamia Scale in white with a blue outline. He smiled a bit sadly. Part of him still longed to join her there. But he couldn't forsake his mission.

Rustling came from further in the forest, causing the two young wizards to freeze.

"Someone's coming," Alderic whispered.

"Guess that's my cue to go," Irina said. She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. "See you soon Alderic." With that, she slinked back into the forest and disappeared.

Alderic wiped the smile from his mouth and pretended to act natural. After all, the last thing he needed was for anyone in Demon Fang to find out he had a girlfriend in Lamia Scale.

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

"To the successful rescue of Zion!"

The Guild let out a cheer, in a more jovial mood than usual. Most members drank and ate with little décor, driving Diana half insane with the noise. Julie and Zurdun already began their drinking contest, downing more ale than the rest of Angel Wing put together.

"I can't believe you guys are going to be featured in Sorcerer Weekly," Emma exclaimed. "We've been trying to get their attention for months!"

Kayden traced the tip of her brush across the canvas. "To be fair, I think they're only interviewing us because they have to. Stopping an eternal winter kind of draws the world's attention."

"Still, it's kind of cool," Emma said.

Kayden turned her attention to her painting, finishing a rather brilliant depiction of her team if she did say so herself, which she did. She stepped back and admired her work with a proud look on her face.

"Hey, what's this?"

Kayden glanced at Emma, who was holding up the folder she'd 'found' in the Blackwood Manor. "Oh that, Julie said it's a personnel file for some, disbanded, all-female Assassins Guild. I found it in their basement." She smirked. "And get this, one of them was Lady Blackwood!"

Emma cocked her head. "Oh yeah?" She looked at the cover of the folder and smiled. "Think if I flip through I'll find a picture of Diana?"

Kayden laughed. "That would explain a lot." She set her first painting off to the side and set up a new canvas on the easel. A devious grin spreading across her face. She suddenly had a new idea for a painting…

A few minutes into her work a small gasp caught her attention. She glanced at Emma to find her staring at the folder, eyes widened and skin pale. Kayden set down her paintbrush. "Hey, are you okay?"

Emma snapped out of it. "Huh, oh, yeah! I'm fine!" She put on her best smile, though it wilted a moment after. She dropped the folder. "I'm going to go for a walk, see you later." She slumped out of the Guildhall before Kayden could say anything.

"Hm, that was weird," Kayden mused. She picked up the folder and glanced at the page Emma had left it on. "What exactly did she see in here?" Her gaze settled on the first photo, one of an all too familiar woman she'd fought at the Asylum.

"Akita," Kayden whispered. The gray-haired dominatrix with a sadistic smile and skill with a whip. She caressed her shoulder at the memory. _"Now that I think about it, she had a snake tattoo on her arm, but how would Emma know about her?"_ Her mind churned as she considered the possibilities. She slipped the folder back into her pocket, reminding herself to talk to Marcus about it later. But for now, there wasn't much she could do.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"After our interrogation, the Blackwood's were arrested, and Demon Fang slipped away in the chaos," Zion concluded. He stood across from Marius, who sat at his desk, listening to the entire story.

"I see." Marius set a hand on his forehead. "I'm glad you made it out of there in one piece. I admit, I was a little worried you wouldn't make it back alive."

Zion chuckled. "I worried the same thing myself."

Marius leaned back in his chair. "This third party, Winter, was she really as powerful as Morrigan said she was? Heard she even defeated that Alderic, same one Raik and her were defeated by not long ago."

Zion rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, she was pretty tough. I only defeated her after getting that power boost from Lady Blackwood."

"I'm more impressed you beat her at all," Marius admitted. He folded his hands in front of him. "Succeeding was a great feat. Worthy of an S-class wizard."

Zion shrugged. "Guess we'll see the trials in a week."

Marius smiled. "Indeed, we will, but you won't be one the participates. For your work in defeating Winter, and stopping the Eye of Skadi, I'm promoting you to the rank of S-class."

Zion's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? I don't think I did all that much."

"Don't be ridiculous, you defeated an opponent that three other, powerful wizards couldn't," Marius replied. He waved his hand in front of him. "Whatever assistance you received along the way doesn't take away from that. I already thought you were a good candidate, this simply proves I was right."

Zion laughed, a wide smile forming on his face. It faded slightly. "Wait, this doesn't mean you're canceling the S-class trials, though, right?"

Marius shook his head. "I nominated you four because I felt you were worthy of competing for the title, not to fill a quota. The trials will proceed as planned. Hopefully, by the end of the week, we'll have two new S-class wizards to speak of."

Zion extended his hand. "I hope so, looking forward to it."

Marius grabbed his hand and shook it. "As am I, my friend. As am I."

Zion turned to leave but hesitated, remembering something he wanted to ask. "Master, in your experience, have you ever encountered magic that can, possess, someone?"

Marius cocked an eyebrow. "Any reason you want to know?"

"Isabella claimed she had no memory of what she did was Winter, and when I defeated her, something weird happened," Zion explained. He scratched the back of his head.

Marius set his hands on his desk. "I see, to answer your question, yes, I have encountered possession magic before. It's a lost form of magic, forbidden by the Council years ago. As some wizard's would use this technique to give themselves eternal life, by possessing the bodies of those younger than them, an abhorrent practice. But now, it's been gone for so long I doubt anyone within this century would know the first thing about using it."

Zion furrowed his eyebrows. "Would it be possible, for someone from ancient times to survive up till now, by using that technique?"

Marius nodded. "Yes, very possible. Believe me."

Zion cocked his head. "Huh?"

Marius smiled. "A story for another time." He walked over and clapped him on the back. "C'mon, we got your promotion to celebrate and an S-class trial to plan. About time we got started."

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall….

.

Dragon stared at Amelia, his eyes narrowed as he listened to the end of her report. A deep frown etched itself across his face. "A tolerable outcome, but one that can be improved upon."

"Yes master," Amelia said.

Dragon snorted. Acting polite all of the sudden. Apparently she wanted something. "Do you have something to add Blackwood?"

Amelia cringed at the use of her last name. "Yes, master. I believe the Blackwood's yet hold information that would be useful to us."

"How convenient that your belief would put you in a position to exact revenge on your parents," Dragon said dryly. He sneered. "I know you manipulated Alderic into going along with your plan. Yet, you failed, the Blackwood's live. And I refuse to waste any more resources on your foolish schemes."

Amelia bit her lip to suppress a scowl.

Dragon turned his chair away from her. "Be gone, while I still feel so merciful." He listened to her leave, waiting until her footsteps disappeared in the distance. "You can come out now."

Matsudo appeared in a flash of light, bowing in an overdramatic fashion. "I bring a report; all primary branches are scheduled to arrive within the week. They're anxious to see how this elite force of yours is progressing."

"I'm sure," Dragon muttered. He set his hands on the arm of his chair. "The destruction of the Eye of Skadi was a most fortunate event. But it's also revealed that they have a long way to go before they're ready."

Matsudo smiled and cocked his head. "Ready for what master?"

Dragon narrowed his eyes. "You'll find that out at the meeting. Until then, I expect you to ensure the absolute security of this Guildhall. I won't take any chances, not this time."

"I understand." Matsudo straightened his tie. "Until we meet again." In another flash, he was gone.

Dragon closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Images of a time long past poured into his mind. Cut off by the memory of white flames. He clenched his fists. _"Enjoy your triumph while it lasts, Marius. Soon, Draycott will burn and Anel Wing shall die."_

 **Up next: Prison Skirmish (Interlude)**


	32. Prison Skirmish

**Hello again everyone, as always, thank you for the feedback. It's always appreciated. I've had some serious writers block lately. But the good news is, I finally have an outline for most of the story, and have determined how each character will develop and what relationships they'll have and so forth. So I'm looking forward to writing about all of that.**

 **This chapter went through quite a few changes over the time I was writing it, I even discarded a few versions of it entirely, and wrote most of this over the course of a couple of days. So I apologize if it's not all that great, I'm not so sure about it myself. Any criticisms you have on it are welcome. This chapter is an interlude, next time we'll begin a new story arc. See you then.  
**

June 12 X784

Kyle frowned as he read over the report. Another raid by the Rune Knights, and on one of his Guild's outposts as well. Making it the third Devil's Advocate base to be targeted by Captain Vandal. He set a hand on his chin. _"Now isn't that interesting?"_

A rather unpleasant and sadistic sounding giggle distracted him, coming, of course, from Akita. Who sauntered over with an exaggerated sway of her hips. "You seem a little down, I hope there's trouble."

"At least you're honest." Kyle lowered the file. Looking up at the woman warily. She seemed to have a sense of knowing exactly where there'd be trouble. Though half the time she was also the cause of it. He set his file down on the coffee table. "But I'm afraid there's nothing for you to punish this time."

Akita's gaze shifted down to the folder. "Oh really? What a shame." She set her hands on the table and leaned forward, so her chest was level with his face.

Kyle rolled his eyes. Attempting to distract him with something that cliché? She'd have to do better than that. He noticed her reaching for the file from the corner of his eye and flicked his wrist. "Dark Gravity."

Akita's arm jerked back as the folder was pinned down by a powerful gravitational force. She stuck her lower lip out into a pout. "So rude."

Kyle folded his arms behind his head and leaned back against the couch. "Afraid you have to be a member of Devil's Advocate to read that."

Akita flipped her gray hair and huffed in an overdramatic fashion. "I don't see why you're acting so grouchy. We all know Captain Vandal's been giving you a hard time."

Kyle made a mental note to find out who let that information slip. "And I don't suppose you're here to assist."

Akita shook her head. "Nope, I'm just here to watch you fail."

"So warm and feminine," Kyle said sarcastically. He closed his eyes. His thoughts drifting back to the problem at hand. Every outpost that'd been discovered was active back during Doctor Nagata's days. None of the bases founded after his arrest had been compromised. The conclusion was clear. "Why would Nagata rat us out?"

Akita blinked. "Hm?" She glanced up at the ceiling. "Well, I suppose-"

"Clearly, he's decided to throw his lot in with the Rune Knights," Kyle answered, sitting up straight. "But what could they offer him?"

Akita stared at him for a second. Her irritation growing. "Maybe they-"

"The obvious solution would be some sort of shortened sentence, but with his age, I doubt that'd do him much good." Kyle set a hand on his chin. "Or is this his way of forcing us to break him out of prison?"

Akita narrowed her eyes. "I-"

"Or maybe, he came to this decision based on something entirely different," Kyle mused. An interesting thought, he'd have to investigate. He opened his eyes to find Akita scowling at him. "Such an unladylike expression."

Akita snapped and reached down for her whip.

"Oh boy," Kyle muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He cleared his throat. "You know, I may need some help for this mission."

Akita set a hand on her whip but paused before taking it out. "Make it good."

Kyle set his elbow on the arm of the couch. "In order to, speak to Nagata about this. I'm going to need to get past the Rune Knight security. And I detest getting my own hands dirty."

Akita almost moved her hand away from the whip but stopped as something seemed to occur to her. "You expect the two of us to breach the prison?"

Kyle chuckled. "Not alone." He turned his gaze over to Kadir, who sat across the room. "I think our friend over there has a new unit he's been looking to test. This may be the perfect opportunity for him to do so."

Akita finally let go of her whip. "Oh, fine." She pouted again with obvious disappointment. "I'll just find something else to punish you for."

Kyle shook his head. He had to admit, having her around kept pretty much everyone on their best behavior. Except for that oaf Kadir of course. He rose to his feet and stretched. "I guess waiting doesn't benefit us. Let's get this underway."

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

As quickly as the snow had come, it melted, leaving only an unpleasant memory behind. Life in the Guild already showed signs of going back to normal. With the added factor of fame thrown into the mix. No one could deny Angel Wing's hand in stopping the Eye of Skadi.

There were even a few new recruits at the Guild. Filling up the already crowded building. Once again Angel Wing found themselves needing to expand their Guildhall.

"You got promoted!"

Zion paused at the exclamation. Not the greeting he was expecting so early in the morning. He hadn't taken two steps into the Guildhall before he was confronted by an exceptionally angry Morrigan. He rubbed the back of his head. "Uh…"

Morrigan frowned. "Answer the question!"

"Yes, Marius promoted me last night after I gave the report," Zion explained. He lowered his arm to his side. "Is, that a problem?"

"Rgh!" Morrigan turned around and stomped off towards the bar, kicking over a table that stood in her path.

Zion cringed. "Take that as a yes." The sound of soft giggling came from the table to his right. He glanced over to see Kayden and Julie enjoying their breakfast, and laughing at what he could only assume was his expense. "I'm guessing you two never bothered to tell her about my promotion?"

"Afraid not," Julie said with a shrug.

Kayden squirmed in her chair but somehow managed to keep herself from running around as she normally did. "I was going to tell her, but then I realized we'd be stuck training with her again, so I didn't!"

Zion groaned. Of course, they put all the responsibility on him. "I don't get it, why she's so mad at me? It's not like I can control when I'm promoted."

"Don't be silly, she's not mad at you," Julie assured him.

Kayden set a hand on her chin. "At least, not primarily…"

"How comforting," Zion said sarcastically.

Julie picked up her wine glass. "Relax, she's just a little sore about not being nominated for S-class. And is even more pissed now that she can't participate as your partner either."

So, that was it. Zion sighed. He looked back up at Morrigan. "Shouldn't someone stop her?"

Julie gestured towards her. "Be my guest."

Zion frowned. "Okay, you two deserve whatever Morrigan's about to do to you." He took a deep breath and followed Morrigan over to the bar. Keeping his distance until her anger simmered.

Morrigan pounded her fist against the bar, knocking over two glasses. "I demand to see Master Marius at once!"

Ashley smiled sweetly. "I'm just the barmaid Morrigan, I don't have that kind of authority."

Morrigan huffed in annoyance. "Well, who does!?" She reached up to adjust her breastplate. "I've got a few choice words for him."

Ashley smile grew bitter. "I really don't he's going to come out if I tell him that."

The door to the back room creaked open, drawing both girl's attention. Master Marius stepped outside, smiling in a polite fashion. "It's okay Ashley, I'm a little curious about what she has to say."

Ashley nodded, shuffling back to make room for him. "Can you tell her to stop trashing the Guildhall? It's hard enough to navigate through here without all the upturned tables."

Marius laughed to defuse the tension. "Don't worry, I'll make sure everything gets picked up." He positioned himself, so he stood directly across from Morrigan, whom he regarded with the same casual glance as always. "Now, what's on your mind?" He set the fallen glasses back up as he spoke.

Zion took a seat on one of the barstools. Keeping enough distance between the two so that he wouldn't get caught up in the argument.

Morrigan steadied herself before speaking. "I've been with Angel Wing since we first began our struggle with Demon Fang. I'm one of the strongest members of this Guild, and have been trained in tactics and swordsmanship."

"All true," Marius replied casually.

Morrigan frowned at how nonchalant he was being. "So why, haven't I been nominated for S-class yet?"

Zion inwardly groaned. If anything, you had to admire her boldness.

Marius chuckled. "Don't take it so personally." He glanced up at the ceiling. "You just lack a few, vital qualities, required to be an S-class wizard of Angel Wing."

This only succeeded in making Morrigan even angrier. She set her hands on the bar and leaned forward. "I could easily defeat Silver in a straight up fight! Marcus too for that matter! How can you say that I'm not strong enough!"

Marius' normal amusement disappeared. "There's more to being a wizard than skill and strength Morrigan. If you can't see that, I wouldn't get your hopes up on being nominated next year either."

Morrigan stared for a moment in surprise. But soon her face twisted into a scowl and her left eye began to twitch. Everyone nearby backed away in fear of being caught up in her wrath.

Zion winced. Talk about making a problem worse. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing Kayden and Julie still sitting at their table. He nodded at them, then Morrigan.

Kayden sighed, but reluctantly stood up and hurried over to the scene. She came to a stop at her teammate's right side, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. "Take it easy Morrigan. Let's not do anything you'd regret."

Julie sauntered up behind them with a bottle of wine in her hand. "Yeah, there's always next year."

Morrigan stiffened at that comment. She reached up and grabbed Kayden by the wrist. "You two! Time to train!"

Kayden's eyes widened. "We'd really rather not!"

"Too bad," Morrigan shot back. She herded her teammates over to the door, stopping right before she headed out. "And where's Arthur? He should be around here somewhere."

Julie scratched the back of her head. "I don't know. Maybe he took a job."

"He did," Ashley chimed in. "Right before Morrigan arrived."

Zion snorted. "Seems Arthur's got better foresight than you two."

"Hey!" Kayden protested.

Morrigan huffed. "Fine, we'll just do without him." She shoved Kayden and Julie outside, before following herself, slamming the door shut behind them.

Ashley waited for a moment, before relaxing into a smile. "It's okay Arthur, you can come out now."

Zion blinked. "Huh?"

Arthur stood up from behind the counter. "Sheesh, I thought she'd never leave." He crossed his arms. "Maybe I really should go on a job."

"You should probably make it a long-term job as well," Ashley suggested.

"Good idea."

Marius forced a smile. "She's got a lot to learn about leadership, that's for sure." He straightened his jacket. "That being said, she has remarkable potential for someone so young."

Zion rested his elbow against the top of the bar. "Out of curiosity, why didn't you nominate Morrigan for S-class? She's definitely one of the stronger members of the Guild."

Marius raised an eyebrow. "For starters, she's got a bit of an anger problem." He nodded at one of the overturned tables. "And like I told her. There's a lot more to being an S-class wizard than power. For example, Silver. He was nominated not because of power, but because of his intellect."

Zion shrugged. "Makes sense. But Morrigan's no slouch there either."

"True, but there are a few things that prevent her from advancing." Marius crossed his arms. "Namely, her pride."

Arthur scoffed. "Good luck getting her to back down on that."

"She'll need to if she wants to be promoted," Marius answered. He turned around. "Anyways, now that that's cleared up. It's about time I got back to work. Let me know if you need anything."

"Sure thing." Zion waved as Marius disappeared into his office. He looked back at Ashley. "Speaking of S-class, what are Danghoul and Koan off doing? I haven't seen them all day."

"With Danghoul, well, you never know," Ashley said with a shrug. "As for Koan, I think he received an invitation from the Rune Knights for something."

"An invite?" Zion frowned. That was a little odd, did they have a job for him? He shook his head. Whatever was going on, Koan could handle it.

.

At Rune Knight Headquarters…

.

Koan walked down the hall, glancing at each cell he passed by. Each one holding rather strange looking men who all wore the same outfit. He frowned. Made the place too, dull. He glanced back at Lieutenant Haley. "Why am I here?" he complained. "This place is so boring."

Haley sighed for the umpteenth time. She'd been doing that ever since they'd met up, for whatever reason. "As I said earlier, we have an important matter to discuss with you." She ran a hand through her red hair. "It's not my fault you lack the patience to wait until we reach the office."

Koan slouched down overdramatically. "Why can't you just tell me now?"

Haley folded her hands behind her. "Because we can't say anything in front of the prisoners." They finally reached the end of the hall, where a guarded metal door was located. Haley nodded at the guards, before shoving it open, ushering Koan inside.

Her office was a basic one to be sure, but at least it had a nice view. Koan sauntered over to the window, which overlooked a large portion of the city. He pressed his face against the glass. "I think I can see the Guildhall from here!"

"Can you please focus?" Haley asked in exasperation.

Koan tore his gaze away from the window. "Fine, what you want?" He slumped over to one of the chairs and took a seat.

Haley frowned. "That's my chair."

Koan blinked, realizing he'd taken a seat at the desk. "Whoops, I can move if you-"

"Oh, forget it," Haley muttered. She took a seat on one of the guest chairs. Taking a deep breath. "Listen, you were called here to help us with an important issue."

Koan perked up at that. "Really? What's wrong, is there a monster? Or bandits?" He scooted his chair closer to the desk. "Just tell me where they are, and I'll let loose on them!"

Haley gestured for him to calm down. "It's nothing like that." She crossed her arms. "This is a matter that concerns your old enemy, Doctor Nagata.'

Koan tensed at the name. His excitement fading rapidly. "Nagata? What about him?" He crossed his fingers. _"Please don't say he escaped, please don't say he escaped."_

"Recently, he's been surprisingly cooperative. Giving us the location of several of his old bases of operation. In exchange for small comforts or accommodations," Haley explained. She scratched the back of her head. "So far, his information's been accurate, we've ambushed multiple Devil's Advocate outposts and captured several of their wizard's. Now he claims to have something else to tell us, in exchange, he wants a visitation, from you."

Koan bit his lip. His mind wandering back to his last battle against Nagata. Why would he want a visit from him?

Haley sighed yet again. "I know this must be hard, to say the least. But we humbly ask that you go through with this request of his. If the information is as significant as he claims, it'll help us, as well as your Guild, rid ourselves of Demon Fang."

Koan stared at her blankly. Relaxing into a small smile after a moment of pause. "Okay, I'll do it," he murmured. His face hardened again. "But if this turns out to be something stupid I'm not going to do it again!"

Haley allowed herself to smile for a second, though she wiped it away the moment Koan took notice. "Excellent." She stood up and straightened her collar. "Follow me."

The trip down to the main detention area was short and uneventful. Koan barely even noticed his surroundings the deeper in they progressed. His mind was preoccupied with the thought of meeting his old enemy again.

Haley came to a stop in front of a light blue field of magic energy. On the other side of which was a cell.

Koan peered around her, swallowing a lump in his throat.

The cell looked different from the others, with a few pieces of furniture propped up against the walls. In the middle of the room was a long wooden table filled with dishes containing various foods that seemed far too nice for a prison. And at the head of this table, sat an old man with long gray hair and a matching beard.

"Nagata," Koan whispered. He suppressed his anger, hoping to avoid waking Joker.

Nagata looked up from his meal. His mouth forming into a wide toothy grin. "Koan, my boy. How good to see you again."

Koan clenched his fists.

"He's here, just like you asked, now tell us what we want to know," Haley ordered.

"Patience, lieutenant," Nagata said dismissively. His stare remained fixed on Koan, analyzing him in an all too familiar fashion. "I've heard your abilities have been developing well. Better than I anticipated."

Koan inched closer to the cell.

"Consuming the ice of Moya? And developing an dual element mode with it?" Nagata broke into a laugh. "I can scarcely believe it myself! Only you would do something so preposterous and succeed. You have my congratulations."

Koan almost walked right into the containment field while deep in thought. "What do you want?" he whispered. Taking a deep breath to keep himself calm.

Nagata closed his eyes. "It's the strangest thing, but I don't know anymore." He set a hand on his chin. "I'd always assumed it was my destiny to advance human understanding of Slayer magic and exceed the limitations of it. But perhaps, I allowed that pursuit to consume me."

Koan rolled his eyes. "Right, 'perhaps,'" he muttered sarcastically. "Because ordinary people kidnap complete strangers and mutate them."

Nagata laughed. "Ah, such wit." He returned to eating his meal. "It's good to see Demon Fang hasn't beaten it out of you yet."

Koan smirked. "Like they could do that."

Nagata shook his head. "Foolish boy, you're not the first Guild to raise a sword against Dragon. Your master attempted the same thing, and it cost him everything. But in the end, all it served to do was delay the rise of Demon Fang."

Koan broke into a grin. "Then we'll succeed where they failed!"

Nagata snorted. "Believe me, boy, you're hardly a shadow of what Holy Seraph used to be. Whatever training or dedication you have, will do you little good against the onslaught of twenty Dark Guilds."

"Enough!" Haley exclaimed. She pointed at him. "You promised us information, now hurry up and tell it!"

Very well," Nagata said with a sigh. He folded his hands and set them on the table in front of him. "I've contemplated this for a while now, and I think I've finally figured out what Dragon, and ultimately Demon Fang's, main objective is."

Haley took a step closer. "What is it? Tell us now!"

Nagata made no move to hurry, despite the Lieutenants attempt to rush him. "Master Dragon has always had an odd love of the old mythic tales. Gods, dragons, basilisks, it's all subject of his fascination. However, this interest of his seems to have crossed the line into some sort of mild obsession. To the point where he believes all of these tales to be true."

Koan raised an eyebrow. "So, what? He's a crackpot? I could've told you that!"

Nagata snickered. "Don't forget boy, the dragons are considered mythical as well. Yet the blood of one flows through you now."

Haley rolled her eyes. "What does any of this have to do with Demon Fang's goals?"

"I'm getting to that," Nagata assured her. He stroked his long beard. "There's one tale in particular that he loves above all else. One detailing an artifact powerful enough destroy an entire country in one fell swoop. Most interestingly of all, the last known location of this artifact, is in none other than Draycott itself-"

The Lacrima lights overhead all suddenly flashed red and emitted a loud ringing that took everyone off guard. Koan plugged his ears. "Hey! Someone shut those off!"

"Lieutenant!" A Rune Knight ran down the hall, stopping to salute.

"Sergeant, what's going on?" Haley asked. Her eyes narrowed. "Is there some sort of security breach?"

"No ma'am, I mean, somewhat, but not from within! There's an attack on the gateway," the sergeant replied. He glanced over his shoulder. "Local security is responding but, ma'am, all three are wizard's!"

Nagata sighed. "And, so they come."

Koan raised his hand. "Oh! I can help! Just point the way!"

Haley nodded at him. "Take him to the main gate. I'll head down to the barracks and gather whatever reinforcements I can."

"Yes ma'am!" the sergeant replied. He started down the hall, gesturing for Koan to follow him. "Right this way."

"Got it!" Koan began to follow, but stopped for a second, and looked back ag Nagata. Who merely watched the scene without much of a reaction. He bit his lip. Were they going to try and break him out?

"Sir! Please, we have to hurry!" the sergeant insisted.

Koan looked back ahead and put on his best smile. "Oh, right, lead the way!"

.

Outside…

.

Akira chuckled under his breath. "Captain Vandal's own prison. Home to some of our finest operatives." He pulled his cloak tighter around himself. "This should be fun."

Ruby huffed in annoyance. "Stop gloating and lend us a hand already." She engulfed her right foot in flames and used it to kick an incoming Rune Knight in the head, knocking him out cold. She set her hands on her hips. "This job is already annoying enough."

Akira made no move to join the battle. Instead, he opted to watch his fellows continue the fight. "I think you two have things well in hand."

Silas swept one guard's legs out from under him. "Any true warrior would relish the chance to test his strength." He ducked under a sloppy attack from another Rune Knight. "Even against feeble opponents such as these." He grabbed the soldier by the arm and flipped him over his head.

"Oh really? Here's your chance then." Akira nodded at the gateway, where another contingent of Rune Knights had gathered.

Ruby frowned. "I'm sick of this." She covered both her hands in bright orange flames. "Stand back and let me take care of it."

Silas casually took a step back. "As you wish."

Ruby took a deep breath. The flames around her hands intensifying as she focused her energy into her hands. She took a step forward. "Scourge!" Two broad streams of fire poured out of her hands, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

Both streams collided with the Rune Knights, where they exploded into a massive inferno that sent soldiers flying in every direction. When it died down, none of them were left standing.

Silas scoffed. "Are there no warriors among this sorry lot?" He crossed his arms. "How do they expect to guard a prison with them?"

Akira glanced over his shoulder. "If they disappoint you, maybe you want to stick around and wait for Vandal's reinforcements. There's bound to be a warrior among the two hundred of them."

Ruby glowered at him. "Message received. We'll hurry." She stomped off towards the gates, grumbling to herself as she went.

The gateway opened again, this time allowing a strange boy to come barreling out. He struck a dramatic pose and pumped a fist. "Halt evildoers! Or face the wrath of Koan Crimson!"

"Oh, for the love of," Ruby muttered. She pointed at him, a fireball forming at the tip of her index finger. "Burning Missile." The fireball flew forward and smashed straight into him, causing another explosion.

"That was rude," Akira commented. He closed his eyes. "And that one actually seemed entertaining too. You could've at least let him finish his speech."

"You're the one that's trying to rush us," Ruby shot back. The fire began to wane.

Silas narrowed his good eye. "I'm not sure this is over yet."

The fire died down further, allowing them to see Koan, standing unharmed, sucking up the flames. "Man, this is nasty! What kind of fire is this?" he asked with his mouth full.

Ruby stared, dumbfounded. "No way."

Koan sucked up the last of the flames, rubbing his stomach. "Yeesh, got anything tastier in there?" He sauntered forward by a few steps. "I've had veggies better than that."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "A Slayer?"

Ruby smirked. "This might be interesting after all." She created two more fireballs, one on each hand, and launched them at Koan. Causing an explosion twice the size of the one prior.

Koan sucked up the inferno, smacking his lips as he contemplated the taste. "Hmm, that was a little better, I guess." He crouched down a little and breathed in. "Anyways, now it's my turn! Fire Devil's Rage!" He bellowed out a river of multicolored flames.

"Inferno Shield!" Ruby raised a barrier of fire in front of her, narrowly managing to hold back the breath attack. She retreated a couple steps. "You're not one of the Rune Knights, are you?"

"Nope," Koan said casually.

Silas grinned. "Finally, a warrior emerges." He gestured for Ruby to stand back as he took the lead. "You said your name was Koan, correct? I've heard of your victories over Nagata and Sunada. I hope you don't disappoint."

Akira took a seat on the ground, watching with vague interest. No sense on hurrying when Silas found someone he deemed worthy.

Koan stole a glance at the carnage around him. It definitely didn't look like this earlier, at least, he didn't think so. He frowned at the three strangers. From the redhead with the gross flames to the cloaked weirdo, and finally the muscular guy with the eyepatch. What a bunch of nutcases.

Silas slowed down as he drew near. "You've gained quite a reputation in this region. Some have taken to calling you the Laughing Looney." He smirked at the odd nickname. "Which is strange, seeing you now. You're not exactly laughing."

"Eh, give it a minute." Koan stretched his arms. "I'm sure I'll be laughing my head off after I beat the three of you."

Silas snorted. "First, we'll see if you can even defeat me." He clenched his fists. "Takeover!" A golden glow engulfed him from head to toe.

Koan shielded his eyes from the light. "Hey! You just stole that from Kayden!"

Silas grew at least a foot, to the height of eight feet. His blond hair transformed into a wild main, while golden fur covered the first of his body. His hands turned into claws, and even his face took on the appearance of a wild beast. "Mythic Soul, Nemean Lion!"

Koan rubbed the back of his head. "Though, I don't think she can do that."

Silas went down on all fours, a lion's tail now swishing behind him. He let out a low growl as he inched closer to his opponent.

"Re-quip!" Koan summoned a spear to his hands and twirled it around. "Alright kitty, let's see what you got!"

That insult seemed to annoy Silas, who immediately pounced. His jaws snapping at Koan's neck the moment he drew near.

Koan spun out of the, bringing the butt of his spear down on Silas' back with a loud crack. As his opponent winced, he drew back his leg and engulfed it in flames. "Fire Devil's Burning Heel!" He kicked Silas in the stomach, throwing him a good yard into the air. Before he fell back down.

Silas casually rose back to his feet, showing no visible signs of pain. "Heh, heh, good, you seem like you'll live up to the hype after all." He rushed forward and lashed out with his fist, launching Koan across the courtyard.

Koan hit the prison wall with a loud thud, cracking the stone surface around him. He fell onto his hands and knees and coughed. "Oi, geez." He picked himself back up. He didn't expect any of them to be that strong, not after his first performance.

Silas came at him again, aiming a second punch straight at his face.

"Black Dragon's Brutal Fist!" Koan counteracted the punch with one of his own, hurting both wizard's hands in the process. He shook off the pain and pushed forward, engulfing his other fist in fire. "Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" He landed a punch on Silas' cheek, knocking him back a couple steps.

Koan proceeded to breathe in deeply. "Black Dragon's Roar!" He fired a beam of darkness straight into his opponent's chest.

Silas dug his heels into the ground gritted his teeth. Enduring the spell without budging an inch. When Koan finally let up, he relaxed. "Yes, excellent," he murmured.

Koan narrowed his eyes. "Fire Devil's Explosive Sun!" He created a fireball between his hands and threw it into him.

Silas shielded himself with one arm without batting an eyelash. His grin fading somewhat as he patted out the flames.

"Fire Devil's Hot Slash!" Koan swung his arm, releasing a crescent shaped wave of hellfire.

Silas stepped to the side of the spell. "You rely too much on ranged spells. A real warriors magic should be an extension of his own abilities. Not something to haphazardly throw at your enemy." He sighed. "I was hoping you'd have learned that by now."

Koan gritted his teeth. His anger rising even further. "Oh, I've learned plenty." He engulfed his entire body in darkness and propelled himself at his enemy at high speed. Slamming into him with a powerful headbutt. "Black Dragon's Sword Horn!"

Silas grimaced for a second. But otherwise held his ground. "Not bad, however." He countered with a punch to Koan's gut that caused him to bend over and gag. "You still rely too much on brute force." He followed it up by landing three straight blows to his opponent's head.

Koan stumbled away from him. His vision starting to blur.

"You must combine your strength, agility and magic into one!" Silas slashed both his claws across Koan's exposed chest in X formation. He drew back a fist. "If you do, you'd be unstoppable!" He drove his next punch into Koan's gut at full power.

Koan felt himself thrown into the wall again, this time with so much force that the entire thing collapsed into a pile of rubble. He growled, his anger starting to go out of control.

Silas lowered his arms and turned his back on him. "But alas, it would seem you've yet to learn." He strolled over to his companions.

Akira chuckled. "It's still not over," he commented. He raised his arm and pointed towards the rubble. "Look."

Silas glanced over his shoulder. Half expecting it to be some kind of prank on Akira's part.

Koan pulled himself out of the rubble. A loud cackle erupting from him. "Ah, it's good to be back!" He stared straight at Silas, black rings now surrounding his eyes.

Silas' eyes widened. "I see, so this is the 'Joker' fellow I've heard so much about." He continued to walk away from him, stopping by the rock where Akira was seated. He nodded at Ruby. "Cover me while I re-quip." He summoned a golden gauntlet to his right hand.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "How do you expect me to do that? He can eat my flames."

Silas proceeded to equip his second gauntlet, paying her little heed. "This is why I advised you to avoid learning so many ranged spells. They can be rendered useless so quickly."

Ruby scoffed. "Fine, I'll hold him off." She sauntered off to face Joker.

Akira glanced up at the prison. "Five more minutes until our deadline. Better enjoy yourselves while you can."

Joker noticed Ruby approaching and laughed. "C'mon, what you do you think you can do against me!" He stretched out arm out horizontally and created a spear of pure flames. "Fire Devil's Hell Spear!" He seized the weapon and hurled it at her.

Ruby hopped out of the way without breaking her stride. "That all you got?" she asked mockingly.

"Not even close," Joker chuckled. "Fire Devil's Explosive Sun!"

Ruby continued to evade Joker's unpredictable barrage of random spells that left most of the battlefield either ablaze or destroyed altogether. A few times she looked back to see how close her teammate was to finishing. As well as berating him for taking so long.

"Fire Devil's Rage!" Joker finally let loose a breath attack that managed to connect with Ruby's left arm and set it on fire.

"Augh!" Ruby smothered the flames to the best of her ability. But still received a significant burn across her entire arm. "You, I'll, make you pay for that you-"

"No need." Silas entered the battlefield, still in his Nemean Lion Takeover. Only now he was also clothed from head to toe in gleaming golden armor, complete with clawed gauntlets. "I'll take it from here."

"You'd better," Ruby grumbled, falling back to Akira's position.

Joker sized up the now armor-clad warrior. Whistling with vague impressment. "Pretty looking suit you got there. Shame I'm going to have to bust it up."

Silas laughed as he positioned himself to charge. "That won't be as easy as you hope, Joker." His mouth bent up into a toothy grin. "Come, let's see if you're any stronger than your other half!"

"Oh, believe me, I am!" Joker laughed. He leaped forward to attack.

.

Inside…

.

"Locus!" Kyle snapped his fingers, conjuring an invisible cube of energy around his opponent, imprisoning her inside. He lowered his arm and sighed. "That put us a little off schedule."

Lieutenant Haley glared at him. "Storm Bolt!" She blasted the cube wall with a blast of electricity.

"Oh, don't bother with that. That spell will hold at least long enough for us to complete our mission," Kyle said calmly. He strolled around her on his way down the hall.

Akita sauntered after him. Mumbling her disappointment. "You didn't have to put in that cube, I would've been happy to punish her for you."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kyle muttered. The second she found someone to punish, she wouldn't pay the mission any heed. He checked each cell they passed by in the hopes of finding Nagata. But to his dismay, none of them contained the old doctor.

"Could I at least punish one of them," Akita asked. She pointed back at the cell members with her thumb.

Kyle sighed. "No Akita, you cannot."

"Aww, okay."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Now, where are you, doctor?" He performed a final scan of the nearby cells, his gaze stopping on the largest one on the floor. "There you are." He hurried over to check.

Nagata indeed sat inside the cell, eating without a single care in the world. He didn't even bother to acknowledge his new guests. At least not until he finished eating. He shoved his bowl to the side and grinned. "Kyle Aeris, I should've known Dragon would pick you to fill my shoes."

Akita leaned against the wall next to the cell and started chewing on her hair.

Kyle ignored her. She wouldn't be interested until it was time for her to play her part. He folded his hands behind him. "Doctor Nagata, how the mighty have fallen."

"Oh, I don't know, I think I had a pretty good run," Nagata replied casually. He folded his hands in front of him. "I take it you're here about your recent troubles with the Rune Knights?"

"Yes, you made it rather obvious that you gave them the info," Kyle answered. "Which has forced me to respond. After all, running Devil's Advocate is a task difficult enough without you intervening."

Nagata chuckled. "Oh, it was never my intention to make things harder for you. Merely to get your attention, and earn the trust of my captors. You see, I've discovered something rather interesting. I had hoped to share my theory with Koan, but alas, he seems to be preoccupied."

Kyle scratched the back of his head. "You ratted us out for that?" He sighed. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Perhaps not, but consider yourself fortunate that you arrived when you did. You'll be the first to receive long awaited answers," Nagata said. He closed his eyes. "Or am I supposed to believe that you've never wondered what Demon Fang's goal is."

"Can I punish him now?" Akita asked disinterestedly.

Kyle frowned. She wasn't paying the slightest amount of attention, was she. "Not yet." He looked back at Nagata. "There's no need to lecture me, I'm well aware what Demon Fang is planning. They're gathering an alliance of Dark Guilds together, hoping to surpass even the Barom Alliance. As for their final goal, I assume they're aiming for the Council itself. Or am I mistaken?"

"Not entirely," Nagata answered cryptically. He leaned forward. "However, don't make the mistake of thinking you're a part of a simple gang of criminal's boy. Dragon's objective spans far beyond this tiny country. And when he achieves that goal, he'll no longer have need of any of you."

Kyle scoffed. "Enough of this, Akita!"

The dominatrix perked back up. "Right away." She stepped in front of the cell, raising her arms into X formation. Her eyes flashed white as she activated her magic.

Everything in Nagata's cell save the man himself started to glow a bright purple color. The doctor himself merely sighed. "Still so naïve. It'll be the death of you."

Akita grinned as she snapped her fingers. "Explosion!"

.

Elsewhere…

.

A loud explosion caught Joker's attention. He glanced up at the prison, where a portion of the wall had been blown away. He frowned. That seemed somewhat close to where they were holding Nagata.

"It would appear Kyle finished the job," Silas noted. He lowered his arms. His armor had been dented in several sports but had yet to break anywhere. "A shame we have to cut this duel so short. I was just beginning to be impressed."

Joker lowered his gaze. "Oh, don't worry, I'll be happy to, augh!" He cradled his head as the rings around his eyes disappeared. Koan resurfaced, taking a deep breath to steady himself. His body had been bruised and scratched in several areas, but his healing factor had already begun to patch the wounds.

Silas turned away from him. "Hopefully, the rest of your Guild will prove to be this challenging. I wish you well, Koan Crimson." He returned to Akira and Ruby, who merely watched the battle without intervening.

Koan stood up straight and started to pursue. "Hey, wait!"

"Let's get going." Silas deactivated his Takeover and unequipped his armor. "We've done our part."

Akira finally stood up. "About time." He raised his arm overhead and snapped once. "Dark Moment!" Darkness immediately fell on the area around them, blocking them from sight.

Koan squinted as he tried to spot them, but failed. He summoned a flame to his palm, but it barely seemed to let off any light at all.

Akira's spell held for another minute, before letting up. When it did, all three of the attackers were gone. Koan scratched his head. What was that all about? He glanced back up at the prison. Smoke still rose from the sight of the explosion. His eyes widened. "Nagata!"

He spun around and ran back inside, hurrying through the winding prison halls. His heart beginning to the pound the closer he got. _"They couldn't have freed him, right?"_ He slowed down as he reached his destination.

Nagata's cell lay in ruins, covered in ash from with a few small fires still burning. In the middle of it all, lay the charred body of Doctor Nagata. Koan blinked at the scene. Not sure of what he should be feeling.

"Koan, there you are." Haley approached him, a squadron of Rune Knights at her back. She glanced at the cell. "A couple of Demon Fang wizard's cut me off on my way to get reinforcements. Trapped me in some kind of cube."

Koan knelt next to Nagata's body. "But why would they kill one of their own members? Aren't they on the same side?"

Haley sighed. "Things aren't quite that simple in a Dark Guild." She folded her hands behind her. "They probably wanted him dead for giving up information on them."

Koan nodded. His stare fixed on the body. One way or another, it would seem his old enemy had died. He stood up and backed away. "I should get back to Angel Wing."

"Of course." Haley stepped to the side. "We'll be sure to tighten security next time. This incident won't be repeated."

Koan brushed past her on his way out of the prison. His mind racing as he considered what'd just happened. _"He said Demon Fang was after something in Draycott, right? Could he have been telling the truth? If so, what are they after?"_

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall...

.

"It seems Kyle and Akita took care of Nagata for us," Matsudo mused. He closed his eyes. "It's hard to believe he's gone, after so many years. I was starting to think he'd never croak."

Dragon shrugged. "He's of no use to us anymore. Kyle is more than capable of carrying on in his place."

"Still, we can't afford to lose anymore of our officers, or else, the other Dark Guilds might dare to think of us, as vulnerable," Matsudo stated calmly. His usual smirk grew. "Which would put a bit of a damper on our plans, wouldn't you say?"

Dragon rolled his eyes. "It won't be an issue. I've spoken with Kadir, whose already recruited a team to dissuade Angel Wing from interfering with us any further. And it seems Kyle has already brought them into battle with him."

Matsudo set a hand on his chin. "Ah yes, of course. I do hope they continue to provide results."

"If not, it hardly matters," Dragon said dismissively. "No one is irreplaceable. If someone falls, there's a dozen more ready to take their place."

"Good to know." Matsudo set a hand on his chest. "It's been a pleasure as always master, now if you'll excuse me. I have preparations to make."

 **Up next: The S-class Trials**


	33. The S-class Trials

**Hello again everyone, thank you for the feedback. I was on vacation for a little over a week, so I wrote a lot of this chapter pretty spontaneously. Which, naturally left me disappointed with my work. So I erased it all and started again from scratch. Let's hope it was for the best.**

 **On an unrelated note, as a few of the OC's I've received have pretty complex backstories, and I doubt I could portray them well with a few flashbacks. So I'm thinking about having a few interludes where I tell these backstories in more detail. If you like or dislike this idea, please let me know.  
**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

June 12 X784

The day of the S-class Trials finally came around, bringing with it all sorts of excitement and festivities. Most of which being organized by Julie, who was just looking for another excuse to drink. Regardless, most of the Guild had gathered to witness Angel Wing's first S-class exam.

Marius admired the crowded Guildhall from behind the bar. "Quite the turnout, considering only a few members are going to participate."

"What did you expect? It's not every day the Guild's finest go head to head," Ayame pointed out. She leaned against the bar. "Though, unsurprisingly, I don't see Morrigan anywhere."

Marius shook his head. "Of course not." Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of Ashley, whose arms were full of mugs and forehead covered in sweat. Marius raised an eyebrow. "Need a hand with that?"

"No thanks, I got it," Ashley assured him. She set a few mugs down in front of some people at the bar. "Petra agreed to help me out already."

"Sounds like her." Ayame looked up, spotting Petra working on filling other orders across the room. After a second, she sighed. "Imagine how many people are going to have hangovers tomorrow."

"It's best not to consider it," Marius suggested.

Ashley paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. "I just hope they drink themselves under the table soon. Because I'm not sure how much longer our alcohol storage will last."

Marius noticed Danghoul step inside. His usual humor faded. "One moment." He walked out from behind the bar and approached Danghoul.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the Guild, Diana sat in her usual corner, with Luna and, unfortunately, a half-dozen or so of their 'supporters' who'd all gathered as they waited for the trials.

Diana rubbed her forehead. You'd think some of her so-called fans would be able to take a hint. But no, not one of them had left despite her dropping several hints (and one outright statement) that she wanted them to leave. Part of her suspected they were really just there to annoy her.

She absentmindedly glanced at her teammate, hoping for a little support.

But Luna had her hands full with something else, in fact, she wasn't sitting at all anymore. Now she stood behind the table, where she'd busied herself brushing Kyouko's hair.

Diana blinked. An odd sight on any occasion.

She wasn't the only one who noticed either. Emma watched the scene with apparent confusion, eventually working up the courage to speak. "Hey Kyo, what're you doing?"

"Getting my hair brushed," Kyouko answered plainly.

"Right, and uh, how did you get Luna to agree to that?" Emma asked in a lower tone.

Luna's cheeks tinted pink. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kyouko shrugged. "She offered."

"She did?" Emma and Diana asked in unison.

Emma looked at her and opened her mouth.

Diana frowned. "You say jinx and you'll regret it."

Emma shut her mouth and turned her away.

"No offense, but you don't usually offer something like that out of the blue," Sora pointed out. He took a step back for fear of incurring the gardener's wrath, reserved purely for the male gender. "So, why the sudden offer?"

Luna cleared her throat. "N-no reason."

Diana raised an eyebrow. While Luna didn't have any problems hanging out with other girls, why would she be so nice to Kyouko? Unless of course. Her gaze wandered up to Kyouko's cat ears and tail. Her mouth bent into a smirk at the thought.

"What's up with you?" Emma asked.

Diana glanced at her. "What are you talking about?"

"You're grinning," Emma pointed out.

Diana wiped the smirk from her face. "No I'm not."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, of course you're not anymore."

This got the attention of Kayden as she performed her usual circuit around the room. "Diana's grinning?" she asked as she walked over to them. "That's weird, she never smiles when I talk her, why is that?"

Diana crossed her arms. "Because you-"

"Instead you just frown, or glare or tell me to go home in a surprisingly polite fashion considering how angry you look when you talk to me."

Diana's mouth bent into a frown as the wizard continued to ramble on.

Kayden pointed at her. "See, like that! You always do that when I talk to you."

Diana noticed Silver and Javael walk downstairs in the distance. The first of her competition to show up so far. Marcus and Raik hadn't returned from their training mission yet. Which meant they must've been working hard. She closed her eyes. Unfortunately for them, so had she.

Over by the stairs, Silver watched the crowd, rubbing the back of his head. "I wasn't aware so much of the Guild would be here."

"Don't get stage fright on us now." Aikasa approached the duo, setting a hand on her hip. "You've still got a lot of work ahead of you."

Silver sighed. "Don't remind me." The first ever S-class trial in the Guild and he was one of the participates. He didn't even know what to expect, let alone how to prepare himself.

Javael closed his eyes. "I don't suppose there's enough time to sleep before the exam begins," he mumbled under his breath.

Aikasa shrugged. "I doubt it, we're just waiting for Marcus and Raik."

Javael glanced at her and blinked, seemingly surprised that she'd answered. "I see, what a shame."

Silver noticed someone approaching through one of the windows. "Speaking of the Slayers, here they come now."

Right on the cue, Marcus and Raik entered the Guildhall, surprised by the crowd that'd gathered.

"About time you showed up," Julie called over to them.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, we had a bit of a rough train ride back." He glanced back at Raik with a hint of resentment. "Or at least I did."

His partner shrugged. "It's not my fault dragons can't handle basic forms of transportation."

Marcus just glared.

Danghoul brushed by them on his way out the door. Hurrying off in the direction of the harbor.

Aikasa frowned. "Where's he going?"

Marius cleared his throat as loudly as he could in the hopes to get everybody's attention. "Now that we're all here, we can begin." He turned away from the Guild. "All contestants and their partners, come with me." With that, he strolled into the back room.

Silver and Javael glanced at each other. What kind of S-class trial could be held in there?

Each of the teams followed Marius into his office, Ayame coming in behind them. She shut the door and locked it the moment everyone had arrived. She crossed her arms. "What you're about to see is a Guild secret. No one outside Angel Wing may know about this. Are we clear?"

"Of course, milady," Raik said immediately.

"Right," Diana muttered, a little less convinced.

Silver remained quiet, instead opting to nod his agreement.

Marcus shrugged. "I'm don't see any reason for secrecy yet."

"Oh, you will," Marius murmured. He approached the old file cabinet and grabbed ahold of it. With a quick shove, he pushed it off to the side, revealing a wooden hatched sealed by a silver padlock.

Javael slowly nodded. "I get it."

Marius reached into his jacket and pulled out a key of matching color. He knelt and slid into the lock, turning it to the right. After a short click, the padlock fell off. He pulled the hatch open. "Try to ignore the cobwebs. I haven't exactly had the time to dust down here." He grabbed ahold of the ladder and began to descend.

The rest of the group stayed in place, no one knowing who was supposed to go first. Diana eventually sighed and stepped forward. "What are we waiting for?" She also dropped down the ladder, followed by Luna.

The rest of the candidates soon followed, finding themselves standing in a pitch-black room, lit only by the light of the open hatch.

Diana squinted at the stone ceiling. From what she could tell, they were standing in a tunnel with a circular roof. While, on the walls, there were odd inscriptions depicting something she couldn't quite make out.

Marcus seemed to notice this too. He set his hand against the wall and brushed away a layer of dust. "What is this place?" He sniffed the air. "There are all sorts of weird smells down here."

"Yeah, real insightful," Luna grumbled.

Silver swallowed hard. "Is, there any way we can turn on a light?"

"Give it a second," Marius answered.

Ayame started to climb down, shutting the hatch behind her. Leaving the room in total darkness. The moment her foot touched the ground the inscriptions on the wall all lit up and illuminated the tunnel.

Diana examined the markings further. The most prominent of which depicted a creature with six wings. She turned away as the light started to hurt her eyes.

"This tunnel used to belong to Holy Seraph, didn't it?" Silver deduced.

"Correct," Marius answered. He strolled down the passageway. "Designed to react the presence of its master, or his descendants."

Marcus stopped. "Wait, Ayame's related to Master Japheth."

"You ask that as though I'm not in the room," Ayame said dryly.

"Yes, she is, but that doesn't matter, not anymore," Marius said, regaining everyone's attention. He reached the end of the tunnel, gesturing for everyone to stop. "Now, allow me to introduce you to the objective of this year's S-class trial." He nodded at Ayame.

She returned the nod and moved to the front of the group. More lights activating as she went. A large stone door blocked the end of the passageway. With the Holy Seraph Emblem engraved on the center. Ayame waved her hand in front of her, causing the mark to glow. The door slid open shortly after.

Light poured into the room beyond the tunnel, revealing a giant chasm with a single bridge leading across to the other side. On either side of that bridge was a long spiral staircase leading to the bottom.

Ayame walked by the group and began to cross the bridge. More lights flickering on as she went.

Marius gestured for everyone else not to follow. "Your objective is simple. You'll delve into this chasm, at the bottom, surrounded by traps, you'll find six different doorways. Each leads to a different trial that will test your worthiness to be an S-class wizard. After completing the test, you'll be allowed to move up to the upper levels. The first one to reach me wins." He crossed his arms. "Just be warned, you have a two-hour time limit. Any longer than that and the trial will end with no victor."

Silver peered into the dark pit, taking a deep breath. "How are we supposed to see down there?"

Marius chuckled. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of light." He waved his hand toward Ayame just as she reached the other side of the chasm.

She sat down in meditation position, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Lights turned on across the sanctuary, from the ceiling to the floor of the chasm. Illuminating everything in sight.

Diana knelt and squinted to get a better look. The pit was built like a giant maze with six exits. Which she assumed were the paths that Marius mentioned. Various orbs of magic floated around the labyrinth, seemingly at random.

Marius noticed what she was looking at. "Those spheres you see are a conjuration of Japheth's. We call them the magic sentries. Be careful, they're programmed to attack whatever they see." He waved in the direction of the one of the doors. "On a related note, once you pass through one of the doors. A barrier of light will activate to prevent anyone from following you. Only one team is allowed per passage."

"I see," Silver mumbled.

"There will be no restrictions on how much magic you can use against each other. Don't worry about inflicting any lasting damage. The magic in this place is designed to heal anyone bearing our emblem. It should go without saying that if you're defeated once, you're not allowed to continue," Marius explained. He positioned himself in front of the bridge, nodding at the staircase to his right. "You have five minutes to position yourselves before we officially begin."

He glanced at the three teams, none of whom moved. He cleared his throat. "In case I didn't make myself clear. We've begun."

Silver blinked. "Huh?"

Marcus and Raik immediately took off in the direction of the right staircase. While Diana and Luna started to descend the one on the left. Leaving Silver and Javael behind. Marius scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I should've made that a little clearer."

Silver rolled his eyes and ran forward, pointing at the left staircase. "You take that one! I'll meet you at the bottom!"

Javael furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"

Silver dove off the edge of the platform, plummeting down to the labyrinth. He steadied his nerves and focused his energy. "Electric Wings!" Two streams of energy poured out of his back, forming into two angel-like wings that he used to catch himself before hitting the ground. He stood up and dusted himself off, stopping to nod at Javael before hurrying off.

Javael sighed. "Show off."

Silver slid to a stop in front of the stairs just as Diana and Luna reached the bottom.

Diana paused, seemingly surprised he'd beaten them to the bottom. She shook it off and instead began to study her surroundings.

Luna leered at Silver. "How did you beat us down here?"

Silver rubbed the back of his head. "Well…"

"Forget it, let's keep moving," Diana said dismissively. She walked past Silver without a glance, entering the labyrinth.

Luna tore her gaze away from Silver and hurried to catch up with her.

Silver let out a breath. Good thing they weren't allowed to attack each other yet or Luna probably would've. He looked up to see Javael reach the last step. He nodded. "Okay, let's get this underway."

Javael folded his hands behind him. "Lead the way."

On the other side of the room, Marcus ran into the winding labyrinth, stopping every so often to check what direction he should go. He scratched the back of his head. "Geeze, this place is huge."

Raik closed his eyes. "Yes, I can see why you would have trouble."

Marcus paused to let that comment sink in. He frowned. "I'm sorry, do you think you can do better?"

"You're the one taking the trial," Raik said casually.

Marcus bit back a retort. No time for banter, he had an exam to win. A small hum caught his attention. He turned to the right to see a large orb of magic float around the corner and lock on to them. The humming growing louder as it charged up. He smirked. "Alright, let's do this."

The sentry discharged a bolt of white energy. Marcus ducked out of the way at the last second, taking a deep breath in the process. "Ice Dragon! Roar!" He hit the orb with a breath attack, freezing it solid. He straightened himself out. "Well, that takes care of that."

"Are you certain?" Raik asked rhetorically.

The ice encasing the sphere slowly melted away, freeing it up again. It fired a second bolt, this time at Raik. Who dodged with relative ease. "Seems destroying it is out of the question."

Marcus sidestepped a third spell and shrugged. "Not that big of a threat I guess." More humming came from behind them, he glanced over his shoulder to see three more spheres float around the corner. His smirk faded. "I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?"

"You're not already?"

All three orbs fired at once. Marcus jumped out of the way, only to be zapped in the back by the first sphere. He grunted. "Forget them, we got to keep moving." He sprinted past the orbs, taking him further into the maze. He scanned the walls, searching for any sign of one of the doorways. He remembered seeing one around there…

.

Elsewhere…

.

Across the room, Diana and Luna found themselves in a similar predicament, cornered by four magic spheres that continued to fire on them as they tried to find an exit. Diana sidestepped another bolt, the corners of her mouth tugging down as she considered their situation.

Luna hurried to catch up with her, shooting at the orbs with her revolver, to minimal effect. "So, you got a plan?" She winced as a bolt hit her in the ankle. "Because these things don't seem to be going away."

Diana ran a hand through her hair, huffing in annoyance. How were they supposed to find a door in the middle of this mess? "We need a vantage point, of some kind."

"We do?" Luna shrugged. Lifting her hands into X formation. "Alright, mind taking a step back?"

Diana backpedaled, awkwardly positioning herself back to back with her partner. "What are you doing?" She glanced at the sentries warily. "We're kind of exposed." She felt the ground shake beneath them.

"Moenibus!" Luna cried. The trunk of a tree burst out of the ground beneath the duo, lifting them both into the air as it grew into an enormous dead tree. That the girls now stood on top of. Giving them a birds-eye view of a large portion of the labyrinth.

Diana grabbed Luna's arm to keep herself from falling. Taking a deep breath to steady herself. "This should be high enough." A quick look around and she could caught sight of a door somewhat close to them. She pointed at it. "We'll head that way." She prepared to step off, but Luna signaled for her to wait.

"Don't worry, I got this." Luna nodded at the exit. The tree they were standing on began to walk in the direction of the door, albeit at a slow pace. "This way we can avoid dead ends."

"This is got to be cheating," Diana mumbled. She noticed movement from the corner of her eye. She leaned forward and squinted to get a better look.

"Be careful, or you'll fall off," Luna warned.

"I'll be fine," Diana said dismissively. She could see Marcus out in the distance, made apparent by his white trench coat, no doubt Raik would be close behind him. She reached down for her key ring.

"What are you going to do?" Luna asked, a devious glint appearing in her eye as she realized her target would be a man.

Diana found the right key and held it aloft. "Open! Gate of the wild goddess of the Hunt! Artemis!"

The spirit appeared in a soft glow of light. Stopping to take in her surroundings. She frowned. "What kind of hunting ground is this? It's so dark, and dull." She groaned in an overdramatic fashion. "What kind of prey am I supposed to find here?"

Diana rolled her eyes. "Them." She pointed in Marcus' direction. "Think you can hit them?"

Artemis' disappointed face turned into a cocky smirk. "Pfft, I could do that with my eyes closed." She shut her eyes and reached back for her quiver.

"Don't, do that," Diana said firmly.

Artemis opened her eyes again and huffed. "Fine, I'll do it the boring way." She drew three arrows and fitted them to her string, drawing it back and aiming up into the air. Releasing all three arrows at once.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Marcus looked up, noticing the three projectiles homing in on him. He slid to a stop and clasped his hands together in front of him. "Ice-Make: Shield!" He conjured a shield in shape of a snowflake. All three arrows hit at once, cracking and ultimately breaking the barrier.

Marcus sighed in relief. If he didn't notice that...

"Incoming," Raik warned calmly.

Marcus looked up just in time to see another descending on them. He jumped to the side, but one still caught him on the side. He bit his lip and did his best to suppress the pain. "Where's this coming from?"

Raik looked up. "I believe I know." He pointed up.

Marcus followed his gaze up to a large tree that towered over the labyrinth and walked like it was alive. He gawked at the sight. "Holy-"

"Incoming."

Marcus barely recovered in time to evade a third volley. This time being grazed twice in the process. His eyes narrowed. "Diana, she must've summoned Artemis."

"She's clever like that," Raik agreed.

Marcus' retort was cut off when a fourth rain of arrows pelted them both. He grimaced. "We got to take them down! Those sentries are bad enough without-" Right on cue, a magic sphere zapped him on the back. "Ah!"

"I see your point," Raik commented. He stretched out his arm. "Not to worry, I'll take care of this. Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" He fired a volley of stars out of his palm. Lighting up the dark chamber.

"Obice Radix!" he heard Luna call in the distance. A barrier of hard roots grew out of the tree and surrounded the women, blocking Raik's volley.

Marcus frowned. Seems they'd have to take care of them before they could get any farther.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Meanwhile, Silver progressed through the crossfire, ducking to avoid being seen by either party. "Sheesh, they're really laying into each other." He checked on Javael as they continued. "At least they're keeping each other distracted."

"That should help," Javael mumbled. He set a hand on his chin. "But if they notice us?"

"That would be bad," Silver said plainly. He increased his pace but stopped as the path broke into three. He rubbed the back of his head. "Wonderful, two of these probably lead to a dead end."

Javael peered around him. "Hmm, waiting doesn't do us any good either."

"Fair enough," Silver said. He took a deep breath and started down the first path.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Marcus scratched the back of his head. This wasn't a good spot to be in. He stepped out of the way of another attack from one of the sentries. "How do we stop Artemis?" he wondered aloud. Vaguely recalling a story Emma told him…

Yet another wave of arrows hit them. Marcus bit his tongue to prevent himself from crying in pain. He smirked, thinking of an idea. "Hey, Artemis! You missed!"

Across the room, Artemis stopped short of firing. Letting the words sink in. "I missed?" She lowered her arm to her side and stared at the wall blankly. "Again?"

Diana cringed. "Oh no."

Artemis slumped down to her knees, hugging her bow to her chest.

"What's going on?" Luna asked awkwardly.

Artemis curled up into a ball and whimpered. "What kind of huntress am I?"

"Not now Artemis," Diana grumbled. She ran a hand through her hair. "You don't even know if you missed! He could just be messing with you!"

Artemis payed her little heed, instead preferring to mumble under her breath despondently.

"Uh, what's she doing?" Luna asked. Staring at the odd sight in front of her.

"Being a crybaby," Diana muttered. Her irritation growing as she watched the goddess throw a tantrum.

"Ice Dragon Roar!"

Luna strengthened her barrier, managing to block the breath attack. "Well, snap her out of it! What'd you do the first time?"

"I told her it was a fluke," Diana said dryly.

"You lied to me!" Artemis whined.

Luna smirked. "Your spirits are weird."

Diana crossed her arms and looked away. Her cheeks coloring at the comment. "So is half the Guild."

Luna chuckled. "Fair enough." Another spell hit her barrier, almost breaking through. "Regardless, I hope you have another spirit who can help."

Diana bit her lip. Not at this range, she didn't. Artemis was her only option. She glanced at the sniveling mess and sighed. They were so doomed. She searched her key ring anyways in the hope of thinking of something. What she really needed was a way to get Artemis' head back in the game.

"Got anything?" Luna asked. A hint of nervousness in her tone.

Diana noticed Apollo's key and smirked. Thinking of an idea. "I could use Apollo."

Artemis stiffened. "What did you say?"

"I'm sure he can succeed where you failed," Diana said in her best acting voice. Which was still bad enough that Luna started giggling at how ridiculous she sounded.

"No way!" Artemis scrambled to her feet. "You don't need my brother, you have me!"

Luna broke down into a fit of laughter.

Diana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. For a goddess, she wasn't very perceptive. A spell from Raik finally broke through the shield, leaving them exposed. Diana narrowed her eyes. "Then stop moping and start shooting back!"

"Fine! I will!" Artemis snapped. She whirled around and fired a set of arrows in the direction of their target.

Diana rubbed her forehead. Years of training and her spirits still didn't make much sense to her. She glanced at the exit, which they were drawing nearer too. Only a little farther now.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Marcus winced as another arrow hit him in the chest. "Oh great, she's back," he muttered sarcastically. At least Luna's shield was down. He formed a fist, setting it down on top of his palm. "Ice Make: Bazooka!" He took aim and fired an icy projectile at them. Moments before making impact it broke into a volley of shards that rained down on the girls. From he could tell, his spell hit its mark.

"Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" Raik bellowed a stream of energy straight into the tree, finally scoring a direct hit and damaging the tree itself.

Marcus looked away. "Hopefully that'll keep them out of our way." He barely avoided a bolt from a sentry. Reminding him that they were still in danger. "Let's keep moving." Before either could go far, their attention was drawn when a bright light illuminated the nearby wall.

Raik stopped and squinted at it. "How peculiar. I wonder what that means?"

"No idea," Marcus mumbled. Considering what it might mean. His mind straying back to what Marius said about a barrier activating when someone entered one of the passages. His eyes widened. "Hold on, does that mean somebody found one of the exits!"

Raik set a hand on his chin. "Now that I think about it…"

Marcus gritted his teeth. He was so preoccupied with the girls they forgot there was another team participating. "C'mon! We have to hurry!" He sprinted down the path, dodging sentries as he went.

"You may want to slow down!" Raik called after him.

"No time for that anymore!"

Raik sighed. "How unfortunate." He shook his head and hurried to catch up with him.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Ugh." Luna sat up, rubbing her head. Finding herself still sitting on top of the tree. Diana stood in front of her, apparently having recovered moments earlier. "You should've called Hera instead."

Diana grabbed Luna by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. "We're falling behind," she said plainly. "Any way you can speed this thing up?"

Luna glanced at her conjuration. "What, this?" She shrugged. "Afraid not, it's not really built for speed."

Diana turned her attention to the doorway. So close, yet so far. Another barrier flickered on near where Marcus and Raik were. Indicating that, they too, had found an exit. She reached for her keys. "How about a bridge? Can you create that?"

Luna sighed. "Worth a shot, I guess." She raised her arms again. "But there's no way it'll be strong enough to hold both of us for long."

"That won't be an issue."

"If you say so." Luna poured her energy into the tree. Causing one of its branches to grow into a makeshift bridge that led to their objective. She wiped the sweat from her brow and exhaled. "Will that do?"

"Perfectly." Diana took out another key and held it out in front of her. "Open! Gate of The cunning god of Speed! Hermes!" A gate appeared in the air in front of her.

Hermes sprang out of it and struck a heroic pose. "Looking as beautiful as ever Dia." He had white spiked hair and violet eyes. And he wore a silver Greek outfit with winged sandals. "And who, might I ask, is your lovely friend."

Luna sighed. "Couldn't one of your, female, spirits have done anything?"

Diana closed her eyes. "He wouldn't be here if they could."

"As cold-hearted as ever I see," Hermes said with fake lament. All of which faded as soon as it'd come. He studied the weak bridge leading to the doorway with a calm expression. "I take it you need me to get you down there?"

"Exactly," Diana answered. "Can you do it or not?"

"Why, it hurts that you have to ask!" Hermes stretched out his legs. Offering a hand to each of the women. "Grab on, and I'll take you across."

Diana reluctantly grabbed his hand. But noticed her partner made no move to do the same.

"Think I'll pass," Luna said flatly.

"It's just for a second," Diana assured her.

Luna grumbled to herself, but finally followed suit and grabbed Hermes other hand.

Hermes smirked. "Ready to move." A surge of golden energy flowed out of his hands and into theirs, covering all three in a shimmer of light. Once complete he darted forward at the speed of light itself, leaving a trail of energy behind him.

All the sentries took aim and fired at him. But Hermes dodged around each spell without a moment's pause, until he came to a sudden stop in front of the exit. Letting go of both girls. "Satisfied with my performance?"

Luna set a hand on the wall to steady herself. "Oh, gosh." She placed her other hand on her stomach. "Think I'm going to hurl."

Diana took a deep breath. Even she felt a little queasy after that, and she didn't even get motion sickness. "That, will do." She swung her key, sending Hermes back where he came. She nodded at her partner. "You alright?"

"Just, give me a second," Luna groaned. She took a few deep breaths, eventually working up the courage to stand without the support of the wall. "Okay, I'm good."

Diana waited another moment before walking to the exit. "I didn't realize you got motion sickness."

Luna's cheeks went pink. "I don't, at least, not usually. Only during bumpy rides."

"That's a step above Marcus," Diana mused. She passed through the door, causing another barrier to activate right behind them. She let out a breath. Last ones to arrive, seems they had some catching up to do. She took a deep breath and ran into the tunnel.

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

At the top floor of the Demon Fang Guildhall, located above the S-class lounge, was a small conference room. Consisting of a single long table with seven chairs. Dimly lit by a single chandelier. Six windows, three on each wall, was the only other source of light. Four of which were occupied by several of Demon Fang's greatest leaders.

"Finally arrived, eh?" Mathias said dryly, watching Kodama step inside. He crossed his muscular arms and sneered. "It's about time."

"We experienced an unexpected delay," Kodama replied, taking his seat across the table from him. He set his katana down on top of the table. "In the form of an overzealous group of Rune Knights. We had to take a detour to avoid confrontation."

Mathias chuckled humorlessly. "Curse your soul, Nagata. Even after your death, you continue to hinder us."

"That's what we get for recruiting a member of Devil's Advocate," Mihara chimed in. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "We're lucky he didn't give them the location of all our bases."

Jade glanced over at the empty seat next to her. "Still, we'll have to find someone to replace him. Unless one of you wants to take up his end of the project."

Mihara glared at her. "One of us? What about you?"

Jade closed her eyes. "No thanks, such messy business doesn't suit me."

"Since when?"

Matsudo pushed open the door and strolled into the room. "So happy you could all make it." He directed his usual smile at Jade in particular. Taking a seat at his spot across from her. "It's been a while since we've all met like this."

Mathias scoffed. "Don't get so sentimental, we're here because we have to be."

"So uncouth," Matsudo mused.

"And so uncivilized," Jade added.

Mathias scowled at them both.

"Enough!" Dragon stepped inside. Two of his men closing the door behind him. He took his seat at the head of the table. "We have much to discuss."

.

Outside…

.

A thick forest surrounded the Guildhall on all sides, stretching out to the very end of the island. Scattered remnants of an abandoned village dotted the landscape. Beyond that, was the coast of Fiore itself. Dozens of patrols moved throughout the island, searching for intruders.

"Augh!" Alexander woke with a start, feeling his cheek stinging. He narrowed his eyes. "You better have a good reason for waking me up."

Akita smiled. "No reason." She brandished her whip in her right hand, which she'd use to wake him up. "Just thought I'd punish for you sleeping on the job."

Alexander rose to his feet, still glaring at her. "Like I told Kyle, I'm not interested in wasting my time roaming the island at the off chance an intruder might arrive."

Akita tilted her head. "Do I hear complaining?" She giggled in sadistic fashion. "If you want, I can find a proper way to motivate you." She cracked her whip against the ground.

Alexander sneered. "I'm not scared of a crazy dominatrix."

"I'm sure I can change that," Akita said calmly.

Their duel was cut off by the return of one of the patrols. Consisting of half-dozen men all dressed in the typical red uniforms of Demon Fang. The leader approached, greeting the two with a nod. "We've placed guards around the island, as Master Aeris requested. But we haven't seen any sign of intruders."

"Of course, you haven't, no one's been here in centuries," Alexander grumbled. All the security seemed like a complete waste of time to him.

"Has anyone disobeyed any orders?" Akita asked eagerly.

"No ma'am," the agent replied.

Akita pouted. "Oh well, I'm sure one of these patrols will have done something wrong." She set a hand on her chin. "I wonder how I should punish them…"

The patrol hurried off to continue their work, glad to have avoided her ire. Alexander laid back down and closed his eyes. No sense in staying awake.

After a minute, Akita broke into a fit of giggles. "Patrol seven has failed to report in."

Alexander opened one eye. Why on earthland would a team fail to report in, especially when they knew Akita would be waiting for them? He sat up and frowned. Unless there really was an intruder. He glanced at his 'partner' to see if she'd come to the same conclusion.

Akita grinned, pacing back and forth. "Should I just use my whip, or maybe some magic too. I bet I could-" She rambled on about her rather extensive knowledge in all things related to torture. Growing more excited the longer she spoke.

Alexander rolled his eyes and stood up, at least he knew where the patrol was. "Dark Travel!"

"... And once I've finished chaining him down I'll-!" Akita looked over to find Alexander opening a portal on the ground. She scowled. "Where do you think you're going?"

Alexander stepped inside without saying anything, vanishing into the darkness.

"Hey!" Akita ran over to the portal, but it shut before she could follow. Did he just abandon his post? She perked back up. "That means I get to punish him too!"

.

Elsewhere…

.

Alexander emerged from his portal, now standing in the thick of the forest. An old shack stood nearby. The windows were broken and the door kicked in. All around him the forest ground looked as though it'd been trampled. While one of the trees had fallen over. Alexander chuckled. Sensing an influx of familiar energy in the distance.

"Come out, Danghoul Yamaca," Alexander said. Another chuckle escaping him. "You can't hide from me."

A cloaked man stepped out of the shadows, brandishing a scythe in his hand. He showed no sign of surprise at being discovered. Regarding his enemy with a cool stare.

"You have the stench of a shadow about you," Alexander commented. He stood up straight. "How did you find us?"

Danghoul closed his eyes. "I was sent here. How you were discovered, I don't know."

Alexander folded his hands behind him. "Interesting." Darkness surfaced around his body, enveloping him. "Takeover! Dark Soul!" His skin turned gray and black markings appeared on his arms and sides, stopping when they reached his now red eyes.

Danghoul drew his scythe back to strike. His eyes still closed.

Alexander glanced through the cabin window, noticing the bodies of the patrol all stuffed inside. He raised his fists. "I won't be so easy to get past."

Danghoul opened his eyes and leaped forward, bringing his scythe down on Alexander's neck.

 **Up next: Trial of Skill**


	34. The Warrior's Trial

**Hello again everyone, thank you for the feedback as always, it's appreciated. Anyways, to keep this arc a little more focused, I've decided to dedicate this chapter to a single team (Plus Danghoul). The next chapter will move on to another team, and so forth. This entire arc should end in three to four chapters (not counting this one). I hope you enjoy.**

 **Personally, I don't think this following chapter is my best work. But I tend to think that about most of what I write, so it could be nothing. If you have any comments or criticisms, I'm always happy to hear them.  
**

June 12 X784

Ayame opened one eye. "Everyone's made it past the labyrinth. Pretty quickly too." She smirked. "They're already doing better than you, the first time you took the trial."

"Ha ha," Marius laughed dryly. He stood to her left, facing away from her. A wall of glowing letters floated in the air in front of him. Which he occasionally rearranged or replaced a letter of. Stopping to frown or stare in confusion every few minutes.

Ayame closed her eye and returned her focus to meditating. "Any luck adjusting the enchantments?"

"Not much," Marius answered. Stopping to sigh. "I have no idea how Asami managed to set this up so quickly. I'll be lucky to finish before the trial ends."

Ayame smiled sadly. "She was the best at what she did." She wiped the smile away and cleared her throat. "Still, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. There's no reason you won't be able to finish before the trial ends."

"From sentimental to condescending in less than ten seconds," Marius commented.

Ayame bit her tongue to prevent herself from retorting. Returning to her duty once again. Ten minutes of silence ticked by before she spoke again. "Marcus and Raik must be getting close by now." She opened her eyes and frowned. "And since you sent Danghoul away, we don't have anyone to test them."

"Yes, I suppose so," Marius said casually. He shrugged in her general direction. "I guess you'll have to do it."

Ayame blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sure you'll pose a suitable challenge for them," Marius continued as though he hadn't heard her.

Ayame let out a huff. "I can't, if I leave, the lights will shut off."

Marius waved his arm in front of him, causing all the letters to fade away. "That won't be a problem anymore. I've reworked the enchantments enough so that you should be able to leave without the lights turning off."

Ayame glanced at the floor uncertainly. After a moment, she arose and stepped off the platform. The lights dimmed without her but didn't shut off completely. She smirked. "Seems you've still got some work to do."

"Don't remind me," Marius mumbled. He stepped onto the platform, causing all the lights to flip back on. He waved his hand again, causing another wall of glowing letters to appear on the ground in front of him.

Ayame walked a short distance down the hallway, stopping in front of a large gateway with the Holy Seraph Emblem engraved on the center. She stretched out her arm and set it on the metal surface of the door.

"Remember, this isn't a real fight," Marius called back to her. "Try to hold back a little."

The Emblem on the door lit up, causing the gateway to swing open. Ayame waved back at him. "I know the drill." She walked down the next corridor. The doors shutting behind her.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"We must be getting close by now," Marcus mumbled to himself. So far, despite hitting plenty of dead ends, they'd managed to progress without much difficulty. He scratched the back of his head. "Wonder what kind of test we'll have to face." Wouldn't be easy, that was for sure.

Though he seemed to realize it too, Raik didn't show any concern as he strolled after him. His eyes closed as though he was meditating. Which he'd probably prefer to be doing now that Marcus thought about it.

The hallway broadened the further in they went, leading them up a slope. Marcus let out a breath. "The test must take place past this." He clenched his fists. "Get ready."

"You really shouldn't be so concerned," Raik said in his usual calm tone.

Marcus kept his eyes on the path in front of him. "Easy for you to say. You're not the nominee here."

"What will happen will happen, worrying won't change that," Raik said with a shrug. He closed his eyes. "It's best to deal with it all as it comes."

Marcus glanced at him. For once, he didn't even sound like he was messing with him. He crossed his arms. "Well, that explains how you can meditate in Luna's garden without fearing for your life."

Raik shrugged. "Why would I fear for my life with such a skilled and confident young woman around?"

Marcus shuddered at the thought of Luna hearing any man say that. "You know she's not here, right?"

Raik furrowed his eyebrows. "What difference does that make?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. If he wanted to flirt with someone who wasn't present, that was his business. They reached the top of the slope, entering what appeared to be an old dojo.

"Come in boys."

Marcus tensed at the familiar voice. "Oh no." He glanced over to the left, where Ayame stood against the wall, an amused smirk on her face.

Ayame sauntered over to them, positioning herself between them and the door. "About time you arrived. I've been waiting for you."

"Got a little lost on the way over," Marcus said with a shrug.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" Raik asked.

Ayame closed her eyes. "I'll be serving as your instructor this year. I suppose you could also call me your opponent."

Marcus cringed. "Oh, great."

Ayame emitted a powerful aura of light. Narrowing her eyes as she spoke. "This is the Warrior's Trial, to pass, you'll have to impress me!" She assumed a fighting stance. "Takeover!" Light completely engulfed her body.

Marcus shielded his eyes with his hands. Rapidly regretting his decision to take the first exit they saw.

The light died down, revealing the newly transformed Ayame. "Cherub Soul." She nodded at them. "Your move."

Marcus clenched his fists. He couldn't imagine this would be easy, but he'd figure something out. He glanced at his teammate.

Raik reached into the pocket of his gray leather jacket. "The first move is yours. Assuming you haven't decided to back out."

"Not a chance," Marcus said plainly. He pointed at himself with his thumb. "Though you can feel free to sit this one out if you want."

"Yes, but then you'd never beat the trial, and I'd feel guilty," Raik retorted. He sighed as though he were reluctant to fight. "So I suppose I'll have to help."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Poor you. Maybe you should-"

Ayame sighed. "Do you want the first move or not?"

Marcus threw one more glare Raik's way before dashing at Ayame, breathing in as he drew near. "Ice Dragon Frozen Roar!" He breathed out a hailstorm of ice chunks.

"Cherub Flame!" Ayame countered the spell by releasing a wave of golden fire from the tip of her hand that consumed all the ice before any of it could reach her.

"Ice-Make!" Marcus flipped over the wave as it came near, landing directly in front of her. "Twin Swords!" Before he could finish forming his weapons, he found himself swatted to the side by Ayame's other hand.

Marcus shrugged off the pain, narrowly managing to land on his feet and slide a stop before hitting the wall. He clenched a fist and ran back in, engulfing his hand in frost. "Ice Dragon Claw!"

Ayame stepped out of the way, allowing him to stumble past. She turned toward him and raised her right hand, engulfing it in flames.

Marcus spun around and raised his fists. His eyes narrowing as he considered his predicament.

"Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" Raik took advantage of the situation by shooting a flurry of stars from the palms of his hand.

Ayame held her left arm out horizontally. "Cherub Wall!" She raised a barrier of golden flames, shielding herself from the volley without taking her eyes off Marcus as he came in for his next attack.

Raik furrowed his eyebrows. Seems fighting from a range wouldn't benefit him. He engulfed his hands in cosmic energy and ran forward to join the melee.

Marcus covered his hand in frost. "Ice Dragon-"

"Cherub Sword!" Ayame forged a sword of fire in her other hand and brought it down on him.

Marcus threw himself to the right, where he accidentally bumped into Raik as he drew near to the conflict, knocking both off-balance.

Raik pushed him to the side and continued his advance. "Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He intensified the energy around his hands and unleashed a volley of punches upon his opponent.

Ayame stepped back at held out her arm. "Cherub Wall!" Her sword morphed into another barrier that kept the barrage at bay. While, with her other hand, she conjured a fireball that she launched through her shield and into Raik's chest. Sending him flying into Marcus right as he recovered.

Both Slayers tumbled back into the corner, where they laid for a second in stunned surprise. Marcus sat up, shooting a glare down at his partner. "Nice job Raik, are you helping her or me?" he asked sarcastically.

Raik also sat up, keeping his expression calm. "You of course, how else do you think you lasted this long?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "I would've done a lot better if you hadn't gotten in my way." He pulled himself to his feet. Aside from a few bruises, he'd gotten out unscathed. But his opponent had not only blocked or dodged all his attacks, but it didn't even seem to tire her out. He sighed. They were in trouble.

Raik climbed to his feet, his gaze fixed on Ayame. "Now, do you have an actual plan? Or should we keep attacking at random?"

"Of course I have a plan," Marcus lied.

Raik raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this should be good."

Marcus studied Ayame carefully. Outside of an occasional story told by Marius, he'd didn't know much about her combat skills. He didn't even know she used Takeover magic until a few minutes ago. Now he needed to find a way to defeat her.

"We're waiting," Raik drawled.

Marcus scoffed. One way or another, he'd find a way through this. He took a step forward and set his fist down on top of his palm. "I'll move in and take her at close-quarters. This time, you stay out of my way, and support me from here."

Raik shrugged. "So as long as you don't mess anything up, dragon slayer."

"Ice Make: Twin Swords!" Marcus created a pair of blades from his magic and grabbed ahold of them. "Heh, don't worry about me. I can handle myself."

"We'll see."

Ayame raised her fists in readiness. A hint of a smirk on her face as she created another sword in her right hand.

Marcus took a deep breath before breaking into a charge. He tightened his grip on his swords and brought them down on her in a rain of cuts and slashes. Putting everything he had into each blow. Only for each to be met as Ayame parried and countered with her fiery weapon, a loud hissing sound emitting upon each clash of their blades.

Their duel turned into a test of endurance as Marcus' arms began to tire and his strikes slowed. Even his swords began to melt under the heat of Ayame's. He gritted his teeth and pushed on. Finally, the tip of his sword grazed Ayame's cheek, opening a small cut on her face.

Ayame's mouth bent into a frown. She tightened her grip on her sword and swung again, this time breaking both his swords in one blow.

Marcus stared at the broken remnants of his swords. Seems he'd have to fight without them. He tossed them to the side and dodged an incoming blow from Ayame.

"Cosmic Phoenix Breath!"

Marcus instinctively jumped to the left as a stream of violet energy passed by him and hit Ayame on the chest. He landed on his feet and formed a spear in between his hands, throwing it at her. "Ice Dragon Icicle!"

Ayame swatted it out of the air with the back of her hand. Her eyes narrowing at her two opponents. "Cherub Flame!" She released a second wave of fire that knocked Marcus and Raik off their feet.

Marcus landed on his back, his frustration building. He scrambled to his feet and inhaled. "Ice Dragon!"

"Cosmic Phoenix!'

"Roar!" Marcus bellowed a thick stream of ice out of his mouth.

"Breath!" Raik followed suit by exhaling a blast of cosmic energy.

The streams crossed paths as they drew near to their target, where they combined into a shining light of purple and blue energy.

Ayame's eyes widened. "What on earthland?" She haphazardly raised a wall of fire that only somewhat succeeded in halting the spell. Some of it got through and hit her in the lower stomach, inflicting minor damage.

Marcus stared at the sight in disbelief. "Did, we just…"

"I believe we did," Raik answered. Even he seemed surprised for once.

Ayame set a hand on her wounded stomach. "Not bad boys. I think you're ready to move to the second level of this exam." A wave of light engulfed her. "Takeover! Seraph Soul!"

"Well, at least we're making progress," Marcus mumbled.

Ayame transformed again, this time taking the form of a six-winged angel clad in light gray armor, complete with a helmet without a visor. The Guild emblem decorated the chest and wrists in blue. She created a sphere of light between her hands and launched it at him. "Heavenly Explosion!"

Marcus tried to dodge, but it was too late. The spell hit him in the face where it exploded in a blast of energy that Raik got caught up in as well. He stumbled backward into the wall, his vision white from the flash. He reached up and rubbed his eyelids. His eyesight slowly returning to him.

"Still with us, I see," Raik grunted. He gathered up a wave of magic energy and hurled it at Ayame. "Cosmic Phoenix Wing Attack!"

"Wall of Heaven!" Ayame surrounded herself in a dome of light that Raik's spell glanced off without leaving much impact. She dropped the barrier and fired a bolt of light from her hand, hitting the Slayer on the knee.

Raik winced. Setting a hand on the wall to balance himself.

Marcus walked over to his side, glancing at Ayame warily. "How the heck are we supposed to beat her now?" he grumbled. This didn't even seem fair.

Ayame fired a second bolt, this one directly at him.

Marcus ducked out of the way at the last second. He clasped his hands together and held them out in front of him. "Ice-Make: Shield!" He created a large shield in shape of a snowflake and used it to block the next few bolts.

Raik stepped behind him. "Do you have another idea? Preferably one that's better than the last."

Marcus scoffed. "I'll keep you posted." Another bolt cracked his shield, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. "What we did back there, was that a unison raid?"

"Never seen one before," Raik said as he shrugged. "But I don't think a real unison raid is supposed to be an accident."

"Fair point," Marcus conceded. More cracks formed on his shield at Ayame's volley continued. He gritted his teeth. "Do you think, we could do it again?"

Raik set a hand on his chin. "I'm, not entirely sure. Perhaps if we tried working together."

Marcus smirked at the thought. "New territory for both of us huh?"

Raik assumed a readiness stance. "I'm sure we can tolerate each other for a few minutes. Assuming you have a plan, that is."

"Yeah, I do," Marcus answered. A final bolt shattered his shield, covering the floor in shards of ice. He took a step back and engulfed his hands in frost. "You keep her busy, while I attack."

"Simple enough." Raik reached into his jacket, withdrawing a pair of throwing knives. He stepped out from behind him and threw each in rapid succession.

Ayame stopped in the middle of casting another spell to knock each aside with the back of her armored wrists. By the time she'd recovered, Raik had thrown another set of knives at her, forcing her to stay on the defensive.

Marcus nodded his approval. That'd keep her busy long enough. He brought his hands together, forming a swirling sphere of ice and snow between his hands. "Ice Dragon Cold Fusion!" He hurled the spell at Ayame with all his strength.

"Wall of Heaven!" Ayame surrounded herself in another dome of energy. Marcus' spell exploded upon impact and weakened the shield.

Marcus took a deep breath. "Ice Dragon!"

Raik noticed what he was doing and did the same. "Cosmic Phoenix!"

Ayame lowered her shield and counterattacked by throwing a wave of energy into their legs, sweeping them off their feet.

Marcus caught himself and was quick to stand back up where he clasped his hands together and focused his magic again. "Ice-Make: Hammer!" He created the weapon the air above him, which he grabbed ahold of and threw at her.

Ayame's wings began to emit a bright glow. "Wing Storm!" She drew them back, waiting for a moment, before bringing them forward, unleashing a wave of light that decimated Marcus' hammer and went on to hit him and his still recovering partner.

Marcus shielded himself with his arms but still slide back by about a foot. His entire front side now throbbed from the pain of impact. His lips bent into a frown.

Ayame set a hand on her hip and closed her eyes. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to prove yourself."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I will." He set his fist down on top of his palm. "Ice-Make: Lance!" He created multiple spears of ice that he directed toward his opponent.

Raik picked himself back up and joined in. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" He raised both hands and fired a volley of stars into the fray.

Ayame waved her arm in front of her. "Wall of Heaven!" For a third time, she surrounded herself in a dome of energy. Both Slayers spell came down and pelted her shield, managing to weaken it, but not break through.

Marcus lowered his arms and huffed.

"Not bad." Ayame dispelled her shield with another wave of her arm. She opened her eyes and brought her hands together. "But I think it's time to end this trial." Light gathered between her hands, forming a swirling sphere of energy.

"We seem to be in a bit of a predicament," Raik pointed out.

Marcus glanced at him and sighed. "If we're going do this, it's going to be now. Follow my lead."

Raik nodded. "As you wish." He positioned himself next to his partner, waiting for him to begin.

Marcus took a deep breath to the point where his cheeks puffed out. "Ice Dragon Roar!"

"Cosmic Phoenix Breath!" Raik joined in.

The Slayers breath attacks once again combined into a swirling column of ice and violet energy. Forming a makeshift unison raid.

"Breath of the Seraph!" Ayame responded by firing an equally large beam of light from the sphere between her hands, entering a deadlock with the two Slayers.

Marcus narrowed his eyes and pushed harder. Slowly, but surely, their unison raid overcame Ayame's spell, until it finally reached the wizard herself. A bright explosion of white and purple filled the room, forcing Marcus to turn away.

After a few second's it subsided, allowing him to look back.

Ayame still stood, her body either covered in minor burns or partially frozen the attack. Her eyes slightly widened in evident surprise. She relaxed into a smirk. "Well done." A soft glow of light engulfed her body as she disabled her Takeover.

Marcus and Raik glanced at each other quizzically.

Ayame stepped to the side and nodded at the door. "You may now pass."

"We can?" Marcus asked. He'd almost expected her to transform again and keep fighting.

Raik frowned at him. "Are you questioning the fair lady?"

"Not a chance," Marcus said plainly. He ran across the room, passing through the door. A good portion of his magic had been spent, and he received several minor wounds. But at least he'd succeeded. He sighed. Now, he could only wonder what awaited him next.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Alexander ducked out of the way, allowing Danghoul's scythe to pass an inch over his head. He leaped backward, distancing himself by a few yards away. "Dark Beam!" He covered his hand in shadow and fired a laser of darkness from his palm.

Danghoul calmly waved his hand in front of him. "Shadow Guard." He raised a wall of darkness in front of him, deflecting the beam with ease. He stuck his scythe into the ground and made a few hand gestures with his now free hand. "Midnight Shadows Dance!" Twelve spears formed out of his shadow which he directed to fly around the shield and come down on his opponent.

Alexander clapped his hands together in front of him. "Shadow Balls!" Four spheres appeared around his head, absorbing the spears before they could hit. He chuckled. "Nice try, shadow." He fired a second beam from his hand.

Danghoul dodged out of the way and renewed his charge. Furrowing his eyebrows as he studied his opponent. That wasn't ordinary darkness magic, in fact, it felt oddly familiar. All of Alexander's spheres turned on him and fired at once, forcing him to dodge again.

Danghoul slid to a stop and infused his scythe with magic, causing the blade to emit a black glow. He swung it in Alexander's direction, throwing a wave of energy from his scythe at him.

It hit Alexander straight in the chest and knocked him onto the ground. He tumbled to a stop in front of the old cabin and went limp.

Grim strapped his scythe to his back and exhaled. The longer he was delayed, the greater chance he had of being discovered. He looked up at the Demon Fang Guildhall, less than two miles away now. Beginning to start off in its direction. Before he'd gone far a sharp pain erupted in his shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall onto one knee. "Ah," he gasped in uncharacteristic surprise and glanced over his shoulder.

Alexander picked himself back up. Chuckling under his breath. "Not bad shadow. Dark Healing!" The wound Danghoul inflicted faded away. "But I'm not so easily beaten." He clasped his hands in front of him. "Shadow Warriors!" Four beings of pure darkness formed around him.

Danghoul turned around to face him. His lips bending into a frown. "I don't have time to waste on you."

"Too bad," Alexander said with a shrug. His shadows all charged at once.

Danghoul watched them as they drew near. Shaking his head "You can't stop me with that," he said plainly. He snapped once. "Midnight Shadows Dance." His opponent's conjurations all stopped in place.

Alexander's eyes widened. "How did you do that?"

Danghoul formed a fist, causing all the shadows to dissolve. "You're not the only one who can control shadows."

Alexander recovered from his shock and sighed. "And here I was hoping this would be a quick battle. Suppose I should've known better." He covered his right arm in energy. "Dark Cutter!" He swung his arm in front of him, releasing a crescent shaped wave of energy.

Danghoul stepped to the side, allowing it to pass by unheeded. He reached back and set a hand on his scythe's handle.

Alexander threw another three crescents in rapid succession.

Danghoul ran forward and managed to weave his way past them while only suffering a slight injury to his knee. He pointed at Alexander and yelled. "Dark Shot!" Shooting a series of bullets into his chest.

Alexander winced but managed to shrug off the pain and counterattack. "Dark Beam!" He fired another beam, finally managing to hit his opponent in the face and knock him back.

Danghoul landed on his feet and grimaced. But wasted no time moving back in for the attack.

"Dark-Make: Sword!" Alex created a weapon of pure darkness and met Danghoul's charge with one of his own, lunging at his neck.

Danghoul batted his weapon aside with a quick spin of his scythe and countered with three precise blows aimed at the neck. Each of which his opponent parried at the last second.

Alexander stumbled away from another near-death blow. He gritted his teeth and held out his other arm. "Dark Make: Sword!" He created a second weapon in his free hand and renewed his attack.

Danghoul defended himself and backpedaled with measured steps. He locked weapons with Alexander and shoved him back, following up by kicking him in the gut.

Alexander grunted as he fell back, stepping into the shadow of a tree. "Dark Cutter!" He hurled another spell at Danghoul, who deflected it with his scythe.

Grim took advantage of his opponent's disadvantage and stretched out his hand. "Midnight Shadows Dance!" The shadows around Alex molded into a long black chain that wrapped around his wrist. With a hard pull, Danghoul yanked him off his feet and sent him flying through the cabin window with a loud crash.

Danghoul lowered his arm and waited, keeping his gaze fixed on the cabin.

Nearly a minute passed, before Alexander crawled back out through the window and stood up again. His body now covered in small cuts from the glass. He set one hand on his chest and took a deep breath. "Dark Healing!"

Danghoul raised his hand and pointed, firing several bullets into his opponent's chest before he could cast his spell, successfully breaking his concentration. He proceeded to charge straight at him, bringing his scythe back to strike.

Alexander frowned. "Dark Cutter!" He hurled a second wave of energy, again knocked aside by Grim. He backpedaled and gathered more magic on his hands. "Dark Beam!" He brought his hands together and fired a powerful laser.

"Shadow Guard!" Danghoul raised a shield in front of him and blocked the spell without breaking his pace. Within a few second's he closed the gap between him and his opponent, allowing him to lower his shield and tear his scythe across Alexander's chest with all his strength.

Alex left out a weak gasp as he collapsed. This time, he didn't arise.

Danghoul sheathed his scythe and stared down at his opponent's unconscious form. Something about him felt a little, off. His magic reminded him of his own, yet it felt, twisted, evil. He let out a breath. A shame he didn't have time to investigate.

He turned back toward the Guildhall. His gaze stopping on the top floor, which he could only imagine would be where Demon Fang's leaders would be meeting. He'd have to find a way up there, somehow. He took a deep breath and ran off toward the castle.

.

Inside the Guildhall…

.

Kyle stared up at the Lacrima feeds in front of him, each providing footage from each of the castles major sectors. So far, not one had been disturbed. He folded his hands behind his head and lounged back in his chair. "How interesting."

"Right, real interesting," Achak said sarcastically. He sat on the other side of the table, watching the Lacrima with a bored expression.

"I'm not talking about the feeds," Kyle replied. He closed his eyes. "Reports from Akita indicate that an entire patrol has failed to check in, and that Alexander left his post and never returned."

"Hardly out of the ordinary."

"Exactly," Kyle replied. He opened his eyes and sat up straight. "One patrol goes missing in the thick of the forest, and a wizard known for disobeying orders, just, disappears. It all feels so normal."

Achak rolled his eyes. "Staring at these monitors must've fried your brain."

Kyle laughed in a friendly manner. "Think about it." He tapped the side of his head. "Just enough damage has been done, so that it seems like everything is normal, and that our patrol simply got lost or delayed. A perfect cover for someone wanting to infiltrate our Guildhall."

"Oh c'mon," Achak said dismissively. "Isn't that a bit of a stretch?"

"Not if you consider the fact that Nagata sold us out to the Rune Knights, and that this meeting was scheduled before his arrest," Kyle continued.

Achak considered that information for a moment. His eyes narrowing. "So you mean-"

"Yes," Kyle interrupted. A low chuckle escaped his lips. "The Guildhall has been compromised."

"So? Send out an alert already!" Achak growled. He stood up and slammed his hands against the table, causing all the Lacrima to shake. "If there's an intruder we need to inform Alderic."

"Patience, if we sound an alert now, the intruder will get scared and run, then we'll both be in hot water for sending out a false alarm," Kyle answered. He folded his hands behind him. "Let him think he still has the element of surprise for now. We'll lure him in, and trap him inside."

Achak let out a breath. "You better know what you're doing."

"Oh, I do," Kyle said calmly. He looked back up at the Lacrima feeds. "From here I'll be able to form a perfect trap. One our enemy won't even see coming."

 **Up next: The Tactician's Trial  
**


	35. The Tactician's Trial

**Hello again everyone, thank you for the feedback. I had a little trouble with this chapter, as I haven't written anything all that similar before. So I hope it turned out okay. In any case, next chapter I'll wrapping up the teams individual trials. See you all then. Hope you enjoy the following chapter.**

June 12 X784

Silver came out into a clearing, stopping to catch his breath. They'd run most of the way through the maze, running into several dead ends in the process. Hopefully, it was worth it. He nodded at his partner, who stepped inside with much less haste.

"You should probably take a break," Javael pointed out. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "At this rate, you're not going to have enough energy to beat the exam."

Silver shrugged. "Guess you're right," he said between breaths. He looked up and studied the room in front of him.

They were in a wide auditorium about one hundred yards long. On the far side of the wall, he could just make out an open passage that led deeper into the labyrinth. A balcony stood just above the exit, where Zion stood with his hands folded behind him. Eight magic sentry's floated around him, four on each side.

"Glad you could make it!" Zion called over to them. "Welcome to your trial."

Silver scratched the back of his head. "Zion, didn't expect to see you here." He lowered his gaze to the floor. Each tile had one of three different symbols engraved on the top, a sword, a shield or a wing. All were stretched out in a seemingly random pattern from one side of the room to the other, stopping beneath the balcony that held Zion.

"Didn't expect to be here," Zion admitted. He folded his hands behind him. "Master Marius called us down here before the trial began. I'll be the one overseeing your exam."

"I see." Silver studied the floor a bit longer before looking back up. "And what exactly will that entail?"

Zion leaned against the balcony railing. "In theory, it's simple. Your job is to make your way across the room and out through that exit." He nodded at the passage leading out. "Of course, you have to do this without taking a hit."

Silver glanced at the sentries on each side of Zion. He bent his mouth into a frown. "There's got to be more to it than that."

"There is," Zion answered. He directed their attention toward the floor. "Notice the symbols on the floor there? They're not just for decoration. If step on a tile with a sword emblem on it, you're only allowed to attack, until you step on a new tile. If you step on one with the engraving of a shield, all you can do is block, and if it's a wing, you can only dodge. We clear?"

Silver let his words sink in for a moment, before nodding. "I think so."

"Good, because if you get hit by a sentry or break the rules in any way, you'll be sent back to the starting line, fail four times, and the trial ends with your defeat," Zion said. He smirked in a joking manner. "No pressure."

Javael rolled his eyes.

Zion chuckled. "You may begin when ready."

Silver looked over at his partner, then back at the field in front of him. The tiles didn't seem to have much of a pattern to them, aside from being random. His lifted his gaze to the exit, a little under a hundred yards away. He stretched out his legs. "I say we make a run for it, try to cross the room before the sentries can detect us."

Javael stared at him, doubt evident in his face. "If you say so." He took a deep breath. "Flow 10." A glow of red emitted from him.

Silver crouched down in preparation to charge. "Alright, one, two, three!" He sprinted onto the field at the fastest speed he could manage, his partner following close behind him.

The sentries instantly locked on to them and fired a barrage of magic bolts, forcing Javael to stop on a shield tile to block.

Silver glanced over his shoulder, blinking a couple times. The sentries were a lot faster than they were in the labyrinth. He looked back ahead just in time to see an incoming bolt whizzing toward his head. He instinctively jumped to the side, sliding to a stop a yard to the right. Exhaling as he realized how close he'd come to being hit.

A barrier suddenly flicked on in front of the passage. Silver furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"You dodged on a sword tile," Zion called down to him. "Back to the starting line."

Silver sighed, but turned around and did as asked. Shooting a glare back at the sentries. "Seems running through isn't going to work."

"I didn't think it would," Javael commented.

Silver rolled his eyes. "Well, next time, don't be afraid to speak up."

The two lined up again in preparation for their second attempt. Silver glanced at one of the sword tiles, setting a hand on his chin. "Those must exist for a reason."

"Hitting the sentries didn't help us much in the labyrinth," Javael pointed out.

"True, but why else would they give us the option to attack?" Silver asked rhetorically. He lowered his arm and nodded. "Alright, let's try again, you block, I attack."

Javael returned the nod. "As you wish."

Silver took a deep breath, before charging onto the field for a second time, going straight for the nearest sword tile.

Javael positioned himself on top of one of the shield stones and stretched an arm out in front of him, raising a barrier of colored light in front of him. Several bolts were deflected off the surface of which. He raised his other arm and made a few quick hand gestures.

Silver reached his destination but found three of the sentries firing on him. He clenched his fist as he realized he couldn't dodge or block. All he could do was wait.

A dome of energy surrounded him at the last moment, blocking the sentry's attacks before they could reach him. Javael waved his hand again and dispelled the shield. "They're all yours."

Silver smirked. "Thanks." He charged his hand with electricity and launched four balls of lightning from his palm, one into each of the sentries on Zion's left. He proceeded to turn his attention to those on the right, hitting them in similar fashion.

Though the sentries didn't show any visible reaction, they all ceased fire. Silver sighed in relief and began to run across. "I doubt that's the last of them, let's go!"

Javael took off after him without saying a word.

Silver ran for the exit, his heart pounding as he drew closer to the end. If they could get through now, they might be the first ones to pass their exam. He pushed himself harder and forced his legs to move faster. But before he'd made it halfway the sentries resumed firing.

He abruptly stopped on top of a wing stone and jumped out of the way moments before being hit, landing on top of another sword tile. "Spark Barrage!" He covered his hand in lightning and fired on the sentries again, knocking three of them out again.

The remaining five turned on him and fired all at once, only to be blocked as Javael shielded him with another barrier in the nick of time. He grunted. "They came back from that pretty quickly."

"No kidding," Silver mumbled in agreement, watching as the three he'd knocked out began firing again. He allowed Javael's barrier to block for him again, before stepping onto an adjacent shield tile. "Light Barrier!" He defended himself from the next onslaught.

Javael hopped onto a sword tile and fashioned a bow of energy that he used to shoot down two of the magic orbs. Only for the rest to turn on him. He hurriedly stepped onto a wing tile and evaded the best he could, but one bolt still caught him in the foot.

The barrier immediately flicked back on and blocked off the passage. Zion shrugged his shoulders. "Afraid you got to go back to the start again."

Silver lowered his shield and sighed. This kept getting more problematic. He slumped off in the direction of the starting line, meeting his partner there.

"Sorry," Javael mumbled, letting out a sigh of his own. "There was too much for me to dodge."

"It's fine," Silver assured him. So far attempting to rush across had gotten them zapped and sent back to the start. He frowned up at Zion and the sentries. "Guess we're going to have to change up our strategy a bit."

Javael crossed his arms. "Clearly, if we try to run across we'll just be overwhelmed."

Silver studied the floor in greater detail. "The problem is how these tiles are arranged. There's no rhyme or reason to it." He set a hand on his chin. "Maybe it's a part of some old Holy Seraph code."

"Oh, good, because I've studied plenty of those," Javael said with a tiny smirk.

"Really?" Silver asked in amazement. He looked over at him and blinked. "Where did you learn that?'

Javael stared back at him blankly. "Uh, I didn't. That was a joke."

"… Oh." Silver's confidence faded into embarrassment. He paused for a moment. "Hold on a second, you tell jokes?"

Javael lifted an eyebrow. "What's so hard to believe about that?"

Silver shrugged. "Nothing, I guess, it's just you usually aren't seen joking around with people."

Javael closed his eyes. "I'm not usually seen with people at all."

"Fair point," Silver conceded, his attention drifting back to the floor. After another moment of contemplation, he spoke. "Okay, new plan. We'll take it slow and steady. Whenever you see those things targeting you, take care of them before you try to advance."

"Understood." Javael straightened the collar of his hoodie. He glanced up at Zion with a wary look in his eye. "But I'm not sure this is all there is to the trial."

Silver once again took position at the edge of the field, shooting a final glance over at his partner. "Remember, be cautious, and try to take out as many sentries as you can before you advance."

Javael positioned himself in front of a sword tile. "I know what to do."

"Good, let's go!" Silver ran out a short distance until he stepped on a shield stone, where he immediately raising another Light Barrier to block an onslaught of bolts. He took a deep breath to steady himself as he waited, holding his shield for as long as he could.

Javael formed a series of throwing knives that he hurled in retaliation, knocking out five of the orbs before he resumed his advance.

Silver lowered his shield and darted over to a sword tile where he slid to a stop and attacked with another Spark Barrage, knocking out the remaining sentries before any could target his partner. He let out a short breath. The injuries may have been minor, but using so many spells was sure to drain him eventually. Not to mention if they keep failing he'd be disqualified from the running.

He noticed Javael reach a wing stone from the corner of his eye where he dodged to the left to avoid the last remaining sentry, landing on top of a sword. He quickly moved to create a spear and throw it into the orb. The moment it went down he ran ahead.

Silver smiled in slight relief. Looks like they finally got that hand of this. He hurried to catch up with his partner. Noticing from the corner of his eye that they'd passed the halfway mark. He looked ahead again right as the sentries resumed firing. "Look out!"

Jav gasped and stopped abruptly on top of a sword tile. Narrowing his eyes as he realized his lack of options.

Silver positioned himself on the shield stone behind him. "Light Barrier!" He waved his arms, hastily raising a thin shield around both him and his partner. The bolts all hammered into it but couldn't break through.

Both wizards breathed a sigh of relief. "That came too close," Jav mumbled to himself. He created another bow in his hands and fired an arrow over the barrier and into one of the sentries. Stopping to glance at Zion again. "I'm still not so sure about this."

"Neither am I," Silver admitted with a small shrug. "We'll have to be careful."

Javael grunted in response at he let loose another arrow, taking out another sentry. He repeated this process six more times until all the orbs had been deactivated. He wiped the sweat from his brow. "Time to move again, I presume."

The team slowly progressed in this fashion, stopping every few yards to block and counter attacks from the sentries. All the while Zion watched with an amused expression. Silver noticed that the further they went the fewer sword tiles, they were being replaced by shield stones that forced them to rely more on defense.

Silver sidestepped an incoming bolt with ease. Smirking as he saw how close they'd gotten to the exit passage. The lack of sword tiles didn't faze him, defense was always his specialty. Now, they'd reached the final quarter of the field.

Zion stepped up to the edge of the balcony and took a deep breath. His muscles visibly tensing as he did.

Silver blinked. "Don't tell me…"

Zion engulfed his right hand in a thick layer of black magma. Using his free hand to mold it into a makeshift ball of it.

Silver immediately stopped on top of a shield stone and lifted his arms in front of him. Channeling more of his energy through his arms and into the palms of his hands. "Light Barrier!" He conjured another wall of light and held it out in front of him.

"Magma God's Incinerator!" Zion hurled the magma ball straight into his shield, burning a hole clean through it. With his other hand, he threw another lump of lava that nailed Silver on the chest.

"Augh!" Silver clutched his stomach and fell to his knees in surprise and pain. Noticing the barrier blocking the exit return yet again.

"Afraid that's another reset for you," Zion called down to them.

Jav furrowed his eyebrows. "You didn't tell us you'd be a part of the trial."

Zion laughed in a bit of a nervous fashion, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. Master Marius told me to wait until you nearly reached the end. Something about teaching you to expect the unexpected."

Silver scoffed.

Zion cleared his throat. "In any case, you've got one attempt left, don't waste it."

Silver returned to the starting line yet again, grumbling under his breath. How were they supposed to dodge both the sentries and Zion at the same time? There weren't even any sword tiles for them to knock the orbs out with. He stopped at the end of the field. "What are we missing here?"

"What do you mean?" Javael asked.

"This can't be as simple as jumping from square to square until we reach the end. There has to be some sort of trick to it," Silver determined.

Jav shrugged in response. "Patience?"

Silver shook his head. "Somewhat, yeah, but clearly, that's not all."

"Adaptability?" Javael guessed again.

"Also plays in, apparently." Silver shot another glare back at Zion.

"Teamwork?"

"Kind of."

Javael sighed in frustration. "What kind of a trial is this? It's just a combination of a bunch of random ideas."

Silver stopped in place, considering what he just said. "What if that's the point?"

Javael rolled his eyes. "I'd say whoever designed the trial had no idea what they were doing."

Silver snickered. "Maybe they didn't, but either way, I think I know what they're trying to test us on." He turned around to face the field, tapping the side of his head. "Intellect, tactics, they require all three of those things to work properly."

Javael set a hand on his chin. "Maybe so." He glanced at the field, stopping near the end where Zion had attacked them. "But how can get past the finishing line when there aren't any sword tiles?"

Silver analyzed the field a moment longer. "I think I have an idea. But it's going to take some precision to pull off."

Javael folded his arms. "Wouldn't be much of a plan if it didn't."

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

Danghoul crept down the empty corridor, glancing up at the Lacrima above him. No doubt recording everything it saw in the hallway. He could only hope that he'd avoided it by staying underneath. He peered around the corner at the end of the hall.

A lone guard stood watch at the base of the stairs. Dressed in the typical uniform of a red hood and jacket with the Demon Fang emblem imprinted on the back in black.

Danghoul slipped out from around the corner and began to move forward, staying in the shadows where he couldn't be seen. The moment the guard turned his back he darted past him and up the stairs to the second floor.

He paused to let out a breath. Trying to maintain his usual calmness. If someone spotted him now, his chances of survival would be near zero. He stepped out into the fourth-floor hallways.

The deeper into the Guildhall he got, the more elaborate the decorations became. Ranging from mounted weapons to artwork and fine curtains. Various Demon Fang banners had been hung on the walls, generally on either side of certain doorways.

Danghoul resisted the urge to investigate any of them. Knowing that the longer he was sidetracked, the more he risked being caught. He stopped abruptly halfway down the hall as the sound of conversation reached his ears.

"What is this? Where'd all the patrols go?" Kadir stepped into view at the end of the hallway and sneered. "I swear if Kyle gave an order without telling me I'll-"

"That's exactly what he did," Alderic interrupted in a far calmer tone. "By his order, all, patrols are to report to the training hall in the east, and the armory in the west for debriefing."

Kadir narrowed his eyes. "Debriefing? We're the middle of our mission now! Just what does he think he's doing?"

Alderic folded his hands behind him. "He usually has a reason for these things. I say we at least hear what he has to say."

"Of course you do," Kadir mumbled in evident disgust. "And I say we teach him a lesson for overruling our authority. He's had his head in the clouds since they promoted him to master of Devil's Advocate. It's about time we show him how weak he really is!"

"No Kadir," Alderic said in a firm tone. He narrowed his eyes. "If you start a fight here, at now of all times, Master Dragon will not take your side. You'd be lucky to leave here with your life."

Kadir whispered a curse under his breath. "Fine, I'll go. But if this turns out to be something stupid, I'll have Aeris' head." He brushed past Alderic and stormed down the hall leading west.

Alderic shook his head and sighed. He began to go his own way but stopped for a moment.

Danghoul retreated further into the shadows as Alderic looked his way. He set a hand on his scythe and waited. Ten seconds ticked by at a snail's pace.

Alderic finally turned away and walked down the hallway leading east.

Danghoul lowered his arm. Glad to have avoided detection, for the moment.

.

Elsewhere…

.

"Mind telling me what you're up to?" Achak asked, doubt evident in his voice.

Kyle stared up at the monitors with his hands folded behind him. "Patience my friend, you'll see soon enough." His gaze lowered the Lacrima displaying an image of the third-floor stairs. "Do me a favor and reinforce the stairway, can't have him slipping out now, can we?"

"That wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't reduced the stairway guards in the first place," Achak retorted. He clenched a fist. "We could've caught him the second he showed his face."

"Oh, you simpleton," Amelia mumbled. She lingered near the doorway with her eyes closed and a relaxed posture.

"Small problem, he wouldn't have," Kyle answered plainly. "The moment he realized he couldn't go up, he'd simply find another way, or escape while he still could. Either way, we end up with nothing."

"I'm still not convinced there's anything here, to begin with," Achak countered. He waved at the Lacrima. "We haven't a seen a single glimpse of him, yet you seem convinced that he's here."

"You think someone would be bold enough to infiltrate our Guildhall if they didn't know how to avoid a few Lacrima?" Kyle asked rhetorically. He closed his eyes. "In fact, he seems quite adept at blending into the shadows."

"Right, whatever." Achak rolled his eyes. "Just remember, if this 'intruder' manages to make it past the next floor, he'll be able to reach the conference hall."

"A battle isn't won without taking risks," Kyle replied. He waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like you to as I asked. Unless you want to be blamed for our intruder's getaway."

"Fine." Achak turned around and left with the rest of his men.

Kyle waited for him to leave before speaking again. "By your estimate, where do you think our intruder is?"

Amelia stood up straight and walked over to him. "He's only just entered the fourth-floor. I doubt he'll stray too far to the east or west, and he won't try to go upstairs while Fenris is standing guard there. Best guess, he'll enter the master's library."

Kyle cringed at the thought of Dragon finding out. "Well, hopefully, master will understand." Finally, Achak and his men appeared on one of the Lacrima screens. "Ah, finally."

He glanced at the other Lacrima, where he could see Kadir, Alderic, and Fenris all standing by with their men as well. "Everyone's in position, good." He nodded at one of his men. "Give them the signal to advance. It's time for us to take care of our uninvited guest."

"Yes master," the wizard replied, hurrying out of the room.

Amelia set a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at the Lacrima. "Alderic in the east, Kadir in the west, Fenris ahead of him, and Achak behind him." She shrugged in reluctant impressment. "Not a bad plan."

Kyle let out a small chuckle. "That has to be the biggest compliment I've heard you give."

Amelia glared at him.

Kyle ignored her and glanced back at up the Lacrima. Smirking as he watched the teams set out. _"Let's see you escape this one angel."_

.

Elsewhere…

.

Danghoul breathed in and advanced again. Performing a quick scan of the halls, but there wasn't a single guard in sight. Something felt off about the whole thing. If what Marius told him was true, the castle should've been swarming with guards. He reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a thick wooden door.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing no other way he could go. So, he let out a breath and pushed the door open. Entering a huge library filled with tall shelves that almost reached the ceiling. The room was lit up by golden chandeliers, illuminating the banners of various members of the Demon Fang Alliance that lined the walls. The most prominent of which belonged to Demon Fang themselves.

Danghoul relaxed as he saw that nobody was present. He walked down the aisle leading to the main exit, scanning the books titles as he passed. _"The Father of God Slaying."_ He raised an eyebrow as he continued. _"Legend of the Archons, Mythology of Pergande, First-Generation Titan Slayers."_

He slowed to a stop and shook his head. Almost every book he'd seen was on mythology. _"Koan said Nagata told him that Dragon had an obsession with myths. Seems he was right. But why? What's all of this for?"_

The sound of a door opening caused him to freeze. Across the room, Fenris stepped inside, accompanied by a team of wizards. Danghoul ducked behind the nearest shelf and held his breath.

Fenris strolled inside, looking over the room with vague interest. He chuckled under his breath. "Kyle better have a good reason for this." He snapped once. "Fan out, search the area."

"Yes, sir," one of his replied. The team spread out across the north side of the library.

Danghoul narrowed his eyes. They may have suspected his presence, but it didn't seem like they knew for sure. He glanced at the western exit. _"I'll just have to go around them."_ He crept away in the direction of the door.

Before he'd gotten far however, the door opened, and Kadir stormed inside. A cluster of minions hurrying in after him.

Danghoul stopped in place and backed away. His eyes narrowing. He darted around the nearest shelf and down another aisle, managing to avoid being detected.

Kadir strode into the center of the room and performed a brief scan of the room, sneering as he noticed Fenris. "Pah, I knew Kyle was wasting our time." He signaled his men to begin a search of their own.

"Nice to see you too," Fenris said sarcastically.

Kadir leered in response.

Danghoul cursed under his breath. Trapped between the two squads of minions. He glanced at the shelf to his left.

"What are we even doing here?" Kadir wondered aloud. "Nobody even knows that this island is still populated!"

"As far we're aware, I guess," Fenris said with a shrug. He strolled and joined his guild mate in the middle of the room.

Danghoul scaled up the side of the shelf, looking down the chamber from above. He squinted in the direction of the northern door where Fenris came in. About fifteen yards away from him. He breathed in and hopped over to the top of the next bookshelf.

He heard another door open to the east. Causing him to stop and back away into the shadows. Hoping that he couldn't be seen from below.

Alderic joined his fellows in the library. Nodding his greetings to each of them. "I take it the search isn't going well?" His men spread throughout the room in search of the intruder.

"You could say that," Fenris answered.

"Hard to be successful when you're searching for something that doesn't exist," Kadir shot back.

Alderic rolled his eyes. "We don't know that yet."

"Don't we?"

"Got to admit, this was a pretty random order on Kyle's part," Fenris chimed in. He folded his arms in front of him. "Not that I would mind a little entertainment. This place can get pretty boring."

Danghoul hesitated a moment longer, before hopping over to the next shelf. Making his way over to the northern exit. Stopping every so often to let a minion walk by. Slow progress, but progress none the less.

A final door opened in the south and let in Achak and his party. Drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Ah, finally, someone who can shed some light on this," Fenris said. He folded his arms behind his head. "Mind telling us why Kyle's making us run around here?"

Danghoul slowed his pace even more as he continued to hop from shelf to shelf, keeping to the shadows to avoid being seen. Not much farther now.

"Heck if I know, one patrol failed to check in, and Alexander went AWOL," Achak reported. He stood against one of the shelves. "Aeris deemed it the perfect opportunity for someone to infiltrate, and now, here we are."

"One patrol?" Kadir repeated. He rolled his eyes. "Could've been any number of reasons they didn't check in."

Danghoul stopped on the last shelf before his destination. Looking down toward the doorway.

Two guards stood, one on each side of the door. Not moving to search with anyone else. There wouldn't be a way for him to sneak by without being seen. And if he were seen, he'd be killed.

Danghoul narrowed his eyes as he realized this. He couldn't stay put for long either, he'd be seen soon.

"I agree, but what about Alex?" Alderic chimed in. "Both him and a patrol going missing hardly sounds like a coincidence."

Danghoul paused at the name. That must be the wizard he fought earlier, the one who used shadows like him. He thought back to the battle. An idea coming to mind.

Fenris waved his hand dismissively. "Ah please, Alex goes missing all the time. You know how he feels about following orders."

Alderic glanced at him. "True, but would he really do that with Akita as a witness?"

Danghoul stretched his arm out toward the corner a little to the right of the guards. He took a deep breath and focused his energy as he prepared his spell.

Fenris laughed. "Please, he's never been afraid of repercussions."

"Suppose not," Alderic admitted. "Still, this isn't something we can take any chances with. I may not know what they're discussing in this meeting, but I know it's important. If Angel Wing or Vandal," He spat his name. "Find out about this we'll all be in-"

Achak huffed. "We all know what will happen Alderic."

"Midnight Shadows Dance," Danghoul whispered under his breath. He seized control of the shadows in the corner, molding them into the shape of a man.

One of the door guards glanced at it and frowned. "What the heck is that?" He nudged his comrade, before advancing in the direction of the corner. His partner following closely behind him.

Danghoul immediately moved and scaled down the side of the shelf, moving as fast as he could without making too much noise.

"Who's there?" the guard asked as he drew closer to the corner. "Show yourself!"

Danghoul touched down on the floor, dissipating his conjuration with a quick wave of his hand. He proceeded to dart out the door a second before the guards turned back around.

"Huh?" Fenris glanced over his shoulder. "What's going on over there?"

Danghoul held his breath as the rest of the Demon Fang wizards looked his way. A tense few seconds passed.

"Guess it was nothing," the guard answered. "False alarm."

Danghoul exhaled in relief.

"Tch, told you," Kadir grumbled.

Danghoul straightened himself out and checked his surroundings. He could only hope he wasn't too far from his destination. He took off down the hallway.

.

Elsewhere…

.

Kyle lifted an eyebrow. Seeing all the members of Demon Fang crowded in the library. "Now, isn't that interesting," he asked rhetorically.

"Nobody's there," Amelia commented. Her amusement fading into annoyed boredom. Rather typical of her since the incident in Crocus. She let out a sigh and turned around. "Oh well, seems your hunch was wrong."

"Was it now? I wonder." Kyle folded his hands behind him as he watched the search continue on the screen. Still seeing no sign of an intruder. He shook his head and turned away from the Lacrima. Taking his seat at the table once again. "Would you be a dear and tell them to investigate the upper floors for me?"

Amelia scoffed. "Why should I?" She set her hand on her hip. "You're the one that screwed this up."

Kyle set a hand on his chin. "Yes, I mistakenly assumed our intruder would be one of those we fought at the Asylum. But I was wrong." He closed his eyes. "This one uses shadow magic."

"You still think there's an intruder?" Amelia asked. Some of her interest returning.

"One who's just slipped past our security," Kyle added.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll deliver your message. Just don't expect them to listen to you again."

"I'm sure you can make them see reason," Kyle said dismissively.

Amelia huffed and walked out.

Kyle opened his eyes as he considered their current situation. A sudden intruder on the same day Master Dragon planned the meeting. Seems he didn't put a stop to Nagata fast enough. He thought back to what the doctor had told him.

He almost seemed, concerned about what Master Dragon was planning. He shook his head at the thought. _"Hard to believe the man who made demons would be concerned about anything,"_ he thought to himself. It piqued his interest.

.

In the Angel Wing Catacombs…

.

"Alright, get ready," Silver instructed. He stepped up to the edge of the field and readied himself. One more try, if they failed, that was it for them. He took a deep breath. "Okay, on three."

Javael closed his eyes. "Flow 10." The glow emitting from his body grew a little stronger.

"Okay, one, two." Silver narrowed his eyes. "Three!" He ran onto the field, moving straight for the nearest sword tile. Earning the attention of multiple sentries, all of which fired on him before he could attack.

Javael shielded both himself and his partner in the nick of time, blocking all the bolts before they could hit. He waited a moment longer before dropping his barrier and moving forward.

Silver hung back and charged his hand in electricity and leveled it with the sentries. "Spark Barrage!" He fired a volley of lightning balls, one into each of the magic orbs, disabling them all. He proceeded to lower his arm and run after his partner.

Like before the team worked their way through the field at a cautious pace, stopping every so often to knock out the sentries every time they regenerated. Until they once again neared the last quarter of the field.

Silver stepped on a wing stone and dove to the side of a stream of bolts, landing on a shield tile where he raised a Light Barrier. Smirking as he considered his position. He'd entered the portion of the field where there were no sword tiles, which meant…

Zion covered his hand in magma and hurled a lump of it straight at him. "Magma God's Incinerator!"

Silver let out a yell as he poured more energy into his shield. Managing to hold his ground against the spell this time.

Zion chuckled. "Not bad, but you can't block forever, and you've run out of sword tiles." He took a deep breath, energy pouring into his mouth.

Silver lowered his shield. "Don't be so sure about that." He stepped forward onto a wing stone.

"Magma God's Bellow!" Zion breathed out a river of lava.

Silver leaped backwards, landing on a sword tile ten yards back. He stretched out his arm and yelled. "Divine Blast!" He created a white magic circle in the air above Zion, where a column of light fell from it and crashed down on top of Zion.

"Ah!" the God Slayer winced and tripped onto one knee. A smile breaking across his face despite the pain. "Heh, not bad."

The sentries trained themselves on Silver and fired all at once. But were all blocked as Javael shielded his partner once again. Silver nodded his thanks before looking back up at the balcony and narrowing his eyes. "Now, to take care of those sentries." He infused his hand with electricity.

The magic orbs fired one last volley, their bolts all merging into one powerful blast of light that shook Javael's shield and cracked it.

"Spark Barrage!" Silver countered with a final volley of lightning bolts, one for each of the sentries. Smirking as he got his desired effect and the orbs were all disabled. "Now, to finish the trial."

Javael nodded and began to run for the exit, followed closely by Silver.

Zion rose back to his feet and engulfed his hand in lava. "Magma God's-"

Javael slid to a stop at the end of the field, stepping into the passage leading out. He let out a breath and leaned against the tunnel walls. "That, was exhausting."

"Sadness!" Zion shot a stream of lava into the air where it broke into a hail of magma that came down on Silver as he neared the exit.

The mage stopped on top of a wing stone and dove for the door, narrowly avoiding being hit as he tumbled into the tunnel. Coming to a stop on his back. He stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Did, we win?"

Javael shrugged.

"Yes, you did," Zion called down to them.

Silver smiled in relief. "Thank goodness. I don't think I could've gone on any longer." He sat up and glanced back at the field. He couldn't see Zion from their current angle, as they were now directly underneath the balcony.

Zion laughed. "Well, you're going to have to. You've just reached the halfway mark."

"Ah, of course," Silver mumbled. He stood up and faced the tunnel in front of him.

Javael straightened himself out. "Guess that means we're back on the clock."

Silver shrugged. "Guess so." He took a deep breath, still a long way to go yet. "Well, what are waiting for?"

 **Up next: The Shinobi's Trial  
**


	36. The Shinobi's Trial

June 12 X784

"Glad to see you made it."

Diana stopped abruptly at the sound of Master Marius' voice. Her eyebrows furrowing as she thought about it. "What are you doing down here?" she asked, turning her gaze to the left where Marius stood in front of a passage.

He folded his hands behind him and smiled. "Oh, I'm not here. At least, not physically. What you see now is a projection. As you're about to enter your trial, I'm here to explain the details to you."

Diana glanced at her partner as she followed her into the clearing, before looking back and Marius and shrugged. "By all means."

"Thank you." Marius cleared his throat and began. "You're about to enter the Shinobi's Trial. Or, I suppose in this case, the Kunoichi's Trial."

Luna rolled her eyes.

Marius pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Beyond this hall, you'll enter a large chamber where Koan is waiting. Your goal is simply to land a solid hit on him before he does you. I would advise the use of stealth or strategy to accomplish this. Though you're free to take whatever approach you prefer."

Diana bit her lower lip. That would present either the opportunity for a quick success, that would make up for lost time. Or get them eliminated quickly. She clenched her jaw. "I understand."

"Good." Marius lowered his arm to his side. "And just for the record, to win, the hit you land has to be a powerful one. Inflicting minor damage or grazing him won't count."

"We know what to do," Luna said flatly. "You can go now."

Marius chuckled. "As you wish. Best of luck to you." He mock bowed before the projection faded away. Leaving the young women alone.

Diana held out her hand and summoned one of her katana. Which she sheathed and strapped to her back. "Doubt you have any experience as an assassin."

Luna smirked. "You'd be right on that."

"Neither do I, I'm afraid," Diana said, starting down the corridor which she assumed led to the location of her trial.

"So," Luna spoke up after a minute of silence. "We got a plan?"

Diana shrugged nonchalantly. "Never been my specialty."

"So how should we approach this?"

"I don't know, most of the time I improvise."

Luna smirked at her. "Somehow, I don't think that'll work here."

Diana slowed to a stop and sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She crossed her arms and tried to come up with a strategy, only to draw a complete blank. "Uh, think we can get the drop on him?"

Luna shook her head. "I doubt it, even so we'd need to plan how to do that."

"Right, of course." Diana rubbed the back of her head. Frowning as she thought up a few other strategies, all doomed to failure.

"… I can think of a strategy, if you want," Luna offered.

Diana lowered her arm and resumed her previous pace. "That may be best," she admitted in a quiet voice. She reached down for her key ring with her other hand. "I can also summon Athena if we-"

She trailed off as they passed through the entrance into a hexagon-shaped maze with a single path leading down the middle. It stood at the height of three stories tall and had several bridges leading across to the various levels. In the center of it all, stood Koan.

Luna groaned as she saw him. "And there he is."

Koan waved at them and grinned. "Morning!"

"It's not morning!" Luna yelled back at him.

"It isn't?" Koan set a hand on his chin. "It was when I got here."

Diana rolled her eyes. Suddenly feeling a lot more confident about their chances of victory.

"Oh well, time to start!" Koan covered his arm in fire and swung it in their direction, releasing a crescent shaped projectile of flame. "Fire Devil's Hot Slash!"

Diana came to an abrupt stop and reached back for her katana, only to be tackled out of the way by her partner. Sending both women tumbling to the ground just to the right of the entrance.

Koan's spell passed overhead and hit the wall instead, where it exploded.

Diana winced. Even if she'd blocked that, the damage from the explosion would probably be enough to disqualify her.

Luna stood up and glanced at their opponent anxiously. "We need to get to cover."

Diana rose to her feet and nodded.

Koan breathed in. "Black Dragon's Roar!"

Diana sprinted out of the way and into one of the side passages. Abruptly stopping at the end of the tunnel where the path broke into four different passages. She sighed. "Great, another maze."

Luna caught up to her and glanced back the way they came. "You better hurry, he's coming this way."

Diana picked a path at random, leading them up a short flight of stairs and into the second floor of the maze. She stopped for a moment to let her teammate catch up. "Let's keep going, we'll lose him in here."

Luna nodded. "Right behind you."

Diana returned the nod before running down a passage to her right, which proved to be a long tunnel that twisted and turned and ultimately led them back downstairs and into the main hall.

Koan dropped down from above the door and blocked their path. Stopping to wave before inhaling. "Black Dragon's!"

Diana slid to a stop and ran back the way they came, grabbing Luna by the wrist and dragging her along with her.

"Roar!" Koan launched the breath attack after them, darkening the area around them in the process.

"It's right behind us!" Luna warned.

Diana gritted her teeth and picked up the speed, jumping for cover behind the nearest corner. Allowing Koan's spell to pass by them harmlessly. She bit her lip. Another close call, this trial wasn't going too well.

Luna let out a breath. "How did he even know we were going that way?"

"I don't know," Diana said with a shrug. She heard Koan coming their way and gritted her teeth. "But we need to keep moving. We have to lose him." She stepped into a side passage and ran up another flight of stairs. At the top, she made a left and continued into the maze, doing her best to muffle her footsteps.

Luna glanced over her shoulder anxiously. Hearing footsteps coming from the passage behind them. "He's still following us," she whispered to her partner.

Diana furrowed her eyebrows. How could that even be possible? They were as quiet as they could. She came to an abrupt stop, causing Luna to bump into her. "He's half dragon, he can smell us."

"He can?" Luna shuddered in disgust. "Gross."

Diana set a hand on her chin. Frowning as she considered their situation. "There has to be some way to disguise our scent."

Luna smirked, walking over to the nearest wall. "Don't worry, I think I can help with that." She set a hand on the stone surface of the wall and took a deep breath. "Blumen." For a moment nothing seemed to happen, but soon after flowers of all kinds sprouted out of the floor, spanning from the end of the tunnel to the rest of the maze.

It didn't take long for the entire chamber to be covered in a thick flowery scent that Diana took a moment to get used too. "That should do the trick." She couldn't hear Koan's footsteps anymore, which meant it must've worked. "We should keep moving, or do you need a second?"

Luna wiped the sweat from her brow, looking a little weary from using so much magic at once. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

The two took off further into the tunnel, moving as quietly as they could. No matter how far they went, there were flowers on both the walls and floor. Diana raised an eyebrow. "If you can do all this, why bother gardening?"

Luna frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Can't you just summon flowers instead of growing them?"

Luna shrugged. "It's a lot more satisfying to put in the effort." She smirked in a teasing fashion. "Surprised Demeter hasn't taught you that."

"She did, among other things," Diana grumbled. She came to a stop at an exit that would lead them out into the main hallway. Holding out her arm to prevent Luna from walking by. "We can't go out there, we'll be exposed."

Luna lifted her gaze to the ceiling and stared for a moment before her mouth bent into a smirk. "Then we'll just have to lay our trap here." She pushed Diana's arm down and stepped outside.

Diana frowned. "What are you doing?"

Luna pointed at one of the side passages. "Hide in there, and come out behind Koan when the time comes."

"When the time comes?" Diana repeated, furrowing her eyebrows. "When will that be?"

"You'll know when you see it," Luna assured her. She ducked down on the right side of the door, out of sight.

Diana ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Whatever her strategy was, it'd better be good. She reluctantly did as her partner asked and backed into the tunnel, watching the path in front of her.

She didn't know how long they stayed like that, all she knew is that minutes passed as they waited for Koan to appear. It was all she could do to keep herself alert, keeping one hand on the hilt of her katana. Until at last, Koan walked right past her in a lazy trudge down the hall.

Diana inched forward, slowly drawing her sword. Her mind racing as she tried to think about what Luna had planned as Koan drew ever closer to the exit. She came to a stop at the end of her tunnel and peered around the corner, clutching the hilt of her sword with both hands.

"Pyrus Dust!" A white flower sprouted from the ceiling and sprayed a gray dust directly into Koan's face.

"Hey!" the Slayer pinched his nose and jumped back to avoid breathing it in, sliding to a stop mere inches from the tunnel where Diana now hid. He stood up straight and dusted himself off. "That was rude."

Diana emerged from around the corner and slashed at his neck, but Koan ducked underneath at the last second, allowing her sword to hit the wall where it got embedded.

Koan spun around and drew back his fist. "Fire Devil's Thermal Fist!" He engulfed his fist in flames and brought it forward to punch Diana in the gut.

Luna scrambled into the tunnel and frantically waved her hand. "Spinus Rose!" She formed a long whip and swung it at Koan, entangling his inflamed wrist and holding him back. "I'm, not, letting you…" She stumbled and almost fell as Koan resisted her pull.

Diana exhaled in relief, yet another close call. She pulled her sword out of the wall and raised it overhead for the final blow.

Koan's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

Diana tightened her grip and swung down at him.

Koan raised his hand in front of him and cried out. "Fire Devil's Hell Slicer!" He engulfed both his hands and fire, molding them into bladed claws that he used to parry Diana and cut through Luna's whip. Now free, he stood up straight and took in a deep breath.

Diana spun around and fled back down the tunnel before he could finish casting his spell. Her heartrate increasing as she realized that they were now at a disadvantage.

Koan aimed his spell into the passage. "Fire Devil's-" He stopped short of casting to dodge a series of bullets fired from Luna's revolver. He frowned at her in a childish manner. "You're really making this difficult."

Luna rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Luna waved her hand in front of her. "Obice Radix!" She blocked the tunnel with a wall of hardened roots. Halting the barrage and allowing her to flee down one of the side passages as well.

Koan frowned in frustration as both women escaped his sight. "Re-quip." He summoned a sword to his hand and began the task of hacking through the roots.

Meanwhile, Diana stopped at a sudden dead end, cursing under her breath as she realized she'd gotten lost. She turned around and doubled back the way she came. But found herself growing increasingly confused among the winding pathways, and forgetting which direction she came from.

She slowed her pace and scratched the back of her head. "Great, now where am I?" she muttered to herself, now hopelessly lost. From the corner of her eye, she saw movement and pointed her sword in its direction.

"Hey!" Luna protested, raising her hands in mock surrender. Her mouth bending into a frown. "It's just me!"

Diana blinked a couple times. "Oh, sorry." She lowered her sword to her side. Her gaze straying back to the passages in front of them. "Do you know where he is?"

"No, which thankfully, means he probably doesn't know where we are either," Luna pointed out with a confident look on her face. She folded her arms. "Which also means we can think of a new plan."

Diana stopped her search and stared at her blankly.

"Or, at least I can," Luna decided.

Diana turned away from her without saying a word and started walking. "Let's go, you can think of a plan while we walk."

"Right." Luna followed her into the maze, deep in thought as they went. Her first strategy had been a bust, Koan reacted too fast for Diana to hit him. She set a hand on her chin and frowned. "Does, anyone really know what Koan's weaknesses are?"

Diana shrugged. "Motion sickness?"

Luna shook her head. "That's not going to help us here."

"Recklessness?"

"Same could be said about you."

"Tch." Diana rolled her eyes. "How is this helping us?"

"I'm trying to think of a plan," Luna protested.

Diana sighed and ran a hand through her raven hair, causing her red bangs to fall in front of her face. "Maybe I should just summon Athena…"

"Yeah, that might be-" Luna trailed off as a faint panting sound emitted from the cave next to them. She stopped and grabbed Diana's shoulder. "Hold up, did you hear that?"

Diana tensed at her warning, her grip on her katana noticeably tightening. "Where?" She instinctively moved her free hand closer to her key ring.

Luna rotated herself to the right and pointed down the tunnel. "Right down there." She reached for her revolver with her other hand.

Before either girl could do anything Koan dropped down from the ceiling, landing twenty yards away. "Black Dragon's Breathe!" He exhaled a dark fog that spread out and covered the cavern, blinding both women.

Luna frowned and drew her weapon, firing blindly into the smoke where Koan once stood. The green flash from her gun serving as the only light in the passage. She lowered her arm and squinted, managing to make out the shape of a man in the fog. "There you are," she muttered, taking another step forward and taking aim at it.

Koan launched himself at her, engulfing his foot in glowing orange flames. Generating enough light for her to see that he wielded a sword in his right hand.

Luna panicked and squeezed the trigger.

"Fire Devil's Burning Heel!" Koan swung his foot forward and smacked the pistol from her hand just as it discharged. At the same time, he gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and lunged.

Luna scrambled away but bumped into the wall. Swallowing hard as she realized she'd run out of room to run.

Diana slid in front of her at the last second, deflecting Koan's sword to the side with her own. Resulting in a loud clang that echoed throughout the labyrinth.

Koan hopped back into the fog before she could counter. Mumbling something incoherent to himself.

Luna exhaled in relief. "I owe you one."

Diana held her sword in front of her with one hand. "We need to find a way out of here."

Luna scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, I figured." She noticed the smoke beginning to clear, allowing them slightly better vision. But how much longer could they last in a situation like this?

Koan sprang back out of the cloud and attacked with a slash aimed at Diana's neck.

"Watch out!" Luna warned. She attempted to reach for her pistol only to remember that it'd been knocked out of her hand.

Diana parried Koan's blow and atttempted a counter that forced him to fall back.

Luna glanced to the side where her revolver fell, beginning to inch closer to it while keeping one eye on her partner and their opponent.

Koan growled and hopped back again, before launching forward and aiming a third attack at his opponent's head.

Diana swatted his sword to the side with the back of her own and lunged at him, missing by less than an inch.

The Slayer, clearly frustrated, backed into the shadows and vanished from sight.

"He's going to try a spell next," Diana guessed. Her eyes narrowing as she watched for movement.

Sure enough, both heard Koan cry. "Black Dragon's-!"

Luna reached her revolver and picked it up, pointing it into the shadows and firing several rounds.

Koan's incantation ceased, and he dropped back without finishing his spell.

"Obice Radix!" Luna created another wall of thorns to block the passage so he couldn't follow them. Stopping to let out a breath. She didn't have much magic left in her anymore. "We'd better reposition ourselves."

"I agree." Diana's gaze shifted down to her key ring. "After we lose him, we'll think of a new plan." She breathed in and ran deeper into the labyrinth. It didn't take to lose Koan again, though both knew he'd be quick to track them back down. Even if he couldn't smell them, he seemed to know the tunnels better than they did.

The girls, at last, stopped at an exit that led out to a stone bridge that led across to the other side of the chamber. Diana looked behind them. "That should be far enough for now at least." She selected a key from her ring.

"Yeah, let's hope so. Because, I'm not sure how many more spells I can cast," Luna said between breaths. "By the way, who are you summoning?"

Diana held her key out in front of her and closed her eyes. "Open! Gate of the sophisticated goddess of Wisdom and Arts! Athena!"

In a flash of golden light, Athena appeared before them, a smug grin on her face. "I had a feeling you'd call me eventually. You're so useless when it comes to strategy."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "I'm not that bad."

"But you're still reckless," Athena said casually.

"Whatever," Diana huffed, turning away. "Do you have a plan for us or not."

Athena folded her hands behind her and took in their surroundings, looking from Diana, to Luna, to the bridge and beyond. Eventually, she nodded. "Yes, I believe I do." She glanced at her wizard. "By the way, did Artemis really miss again?"

"Not relevant," Diana said flatly.

Luna smirked at the memory. "Is she still crying about it?"

Athena smiled. "Of course she is."

Diana groaned, making a mental note not to summon Artemis for the next few days. "Can we get back to this plan of yours?"

"Oh fine," Athena said with fake reluctance. She swept her arm in the direction of the bridge. "All you need to do Dia, is stand in the middle of that bridge."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Right, and what's the rest of the plan?"

Athena patted her on the head. "Nothing for you to worry about. Now get going." She gave her a slight push in the direction of the exit.

Diana resisted the urge to frown as she followed her instructions, positioning herself on the middle of the bridge. Turning around to see Athena talking to her partner. No doubt giving her instructions as well. She couldn't hear a thing from where she was standing, only a couple of words.

After a few minutes, Athena turned around and sauntered over to her, while Luna broke off and hopped off the side of the bridge to the first floor.

Diana furrowed her eyebrows. "Why'd you tell her to do that?" she asked, keeping her eye on Luna as she positioned herself directly beneath the bridge.

"He'll be so focused on you, I doubt he'll even notice her, you tend to stick out after all," Athena said. The proud smile on her face annoyed Diana to no small extent. "All you need to do is strike when she makes her move."

"That didn't work too well the first time," Diana retorted.

Athena walked behind her. "The first time, neither of you were prepared. This time I hope you'll be a little more adaptive."

Diana glared back at her. "Did you just stick around to berate me?"

"In part, also to warn you. I imagine you'll need to summon at least two more spirits in order to win."

Diana cringed at the thought of summoning so many spirits in a row. She wouldn't have very much magic left for the second phase of the exam.

Athena set a hand on her head and ruffled her raven hair. "Aw, don't worry, I'm sure you can handle it."

Diana swatted her arm away and fixed her ponytail. "You can head back now," she grumbled. How Morrigan managed with her as a mother, she'd never know.

Athena chuckled. "Try not to be so angry, I need to make sure at least one of my students passes the S-class trials after all." With that, she faded away in a soft glow of light.

Diana crossed her arms and huffed. "Like I care about that." She watched the door for any sign of Koan. At least she knew he could only come from one direction. Once again, she found herself waiting for him to arrive.

It was all she could do to keep herself from lowering her guard out of sheer boredom as the minutes ticked by. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Marcus and Silver were still held up in their trials, or if they'd passed them already. If they had, was it even possible for them to catch up?

Koan suddenly stepped onto the bridge and swung his arm at her. "Fire Devil's Hot Slash!" He threw a wave of fire from his hand aimed at her midsection.

Diana dropped to the floor just in time. The corners of her mouth bending into a frown as the Slayer drew closer.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this!" Koan complimented. He covered one hand in fire while in the other he still held his sword. "Shame I'm going to have to eliminate you now." He drew them both back to cast another spell.

"Budonoki!" Luna cried from below, shooting a series of long vines up from below so they entangled Koan's feet and held him in place.

"Wha, hey!" Koan protested, trying to pry his legs free. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and raised it overhead to cut himself free.

Diana scrambled to her feet and grabbed one of her keys. "Open! Gate of The fierce god of War! Ares!" She turned the key and summoned him to her side.

Ares smirked and stretched out his hand. "I don't think so." Koan's sword flew from his hand to Ares, who cast it to the side without a second thought. "Now, do you need me to-"

"No thanks," Diana said plainly, sending him away with a quick wave of her key. She slipped the glass object back onto her ring and selected another.

Koan reached down and grabbed the vines holding his feet, burning through a few of them. Managing to loosen Luna's grip on his legs.

Luna attempted to replace the vines, but he continued to burn through them. At last, she groaned and shouted. "Now's your chance!"

Diana stared at her key for a moment in uncertainty. _"I can't get close to him with his arms free. I have to do it."_ She held her key out in front of her. "Open! Gate of The natural goddess of the Harvest! Demeter!"

In a flash of green light, Demeter appeared in front of her and looked back at her with a simple smile. "I didn't expect to hear from you so soon." Despite her sweet tone, Diana knew better than to relax. "Murder any more plants lately?"

Diana winced. "I said I was sorry."

Koan burned another two vines off him, almost succeeding in freeing himself.

"Please hurry!" Luna yelled.

Demeter seemed to soften slightly at Luna's request. She looked back ahead and raised her arms into X formation. "I'll let your transgression slide this time, but if I ever hear about you mistreating another plant again." She directed a vicious scowl in her wizard's direction. "You're dead."

Diana retreated a step and shivered. "U-understood," she said with an uncharacteristic stammer. Forcing herself not to dwell on what would happen if she made Demeter angry again.

Demeter sneered. "Good." She focused all her aggression towards Koan, summoning dozens of thick vines that wrapped themselves around his upper body, pinning his arms to his side.

Diana tightened her grip on her katana. _"This is it."_ She mounted a charge on Koan with her sword drawn back to strike the winning blow.

Koan narrowed his eyes. "I'm not done yet!" He took a deep breath to the point where his cheeks puffed out. "Fire Devil's Rage!" He bellowed out a river of fire that lit up the dark caves.

Diana slid to a stop and whipped out another key. "Open! Gate of The mature goddess of the Protection! Hera!" She summoned the spirit to the ground in front of her.

Hera was a mature goddess with blonde hair tied in a braid and baby-blue eyes. She wore a white Greek dress and a golden crown. With a quick wave of her hand, she conjured up a barrier of golden energy that absorbed Koan's blast and converted it into a sphere of light energy.

Koan's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

With another wave of her hand, Hera launched the sphere straight into him, resulting in a blast that enveloped him in golden light. It persisted for ten seconds, before slowly dying done.

Koan stood in place for a moment, eyes still widened in shock. Until he slumped to the floor and fell on his face. A weak groan escaping him.

Diana allowed herself to smile in relief. "I'll take that as a victory." She sent Demeter home with a wave of her key.

Luna summoned one last vine that she used to climb onto the bridge with her. "Not as easy as I hoped, but we did it." She smiled in a weary fashion. "Any chance Marcus and Silver both failed their trials?"

"Probably not."

Luna's smile turned into a frown, either out of concern for how they were going to win, or disappointment that two teams of men would be waiting for them.

Diana turned her attention to Hera. "Thanks for the help," she said with a nod.

"Tch," Hera mumbled in response. She crossed her arms and stared at the floor in frustration.

Diana sighed. "Marriage problems?"

Hera nodded.

"Well, good luck." Diana shrugged. With another swing of her key Hera also disappeared in a flash of light. She set a hand on her forehead and exhaled. Not much of her magic remained now.

"You okay?" Luna asked.

Diana lowered her arm to her side and nodded. "I'm fine. Let's find a way out of here."

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall...

.

Danghoul reached the top of the stairs and entered Demon Fang's S-class lounge, vacant as they'd all been sent to guard the rest of the Guildhall. After a brief scan of the area, he passed through to the next set of stairs. Hearing the vague sound of conversation coming from above, not too far now.

"Secure the upper floors! Don't let the intruder past!" Fenris' voice echoed from down the stairs.

Danghoul stiffened and started up the stairs, stopping halfway as he heard someone else approaching from above. He whirled around and ran back down, pushing open the nearest window and climbed out, shutting the window behind him just as the first minion ran upstairs.

"What's going on here?" another wizard emerged from upstairs, clad in all white with a hood covering his face. "Only S-class wizards are allowed in here."

Danghoul covered his hand in a set of small daggers and dug into the wall, holding himself up. He stopped to catch his breath as he realized how close he'd come to being caught once again.

"Akio, sir!" the minions all stood straight. "We apologize, but we were sent here by-"

"I can answer that," Fenris strolled inside with a smirk on his face. "I ordered them to come here."

Akio let out a sigh. "And why, might I ask, did you do that?"

Danghoul looked up, seeing another small room overhead. Overhead he could just make out the sounds of conversation. _"Not much farther now."_ He took a deep breath and began to climb up the side of the wall.

"Kyle's convinced that an intruder made it past our defenses," Fenris explained. "Ever since he's had us running around looking for him."

"An intruder, here?" Akio asked. His tone betraying a hint of surprise. "How does he know?"

Fenris chuckled. "That's the best part. He thinks there's an intruder because everything is too calm. A single patrol fails to check in, and he's got the entire Guildhall scrambling."

Danghoul let out a slight sigh of relief. Seemed nobody but this Kyle suspected the presence of an intruder. If he kept out of sight, he could still leave undetected. He pushed on, coming to a stop as he reached the wall of the conference hall itself. He closed his eyes and pressed his ear against the cold stone surface of the wall, listening on the meeting.

.

Inside…

.

Kodama set a hand on his chin. "That doesn't seem possible, how could something that powerful go undetected for so long?"

"The Eye of Skadi did," Mihara chimed in. "Who's to say something similar couldn't have happened here?"

"Common sense," Mathias countered. He crossed his burly arms and leaned back in his chair. Narrowing his eyes at Master Dragon. "Just because the Eye exists doesn't mean I'm going to chase yet another myth."

"No need to be so negative my friend." Matsudo closed his eyes and smiled. "After all, we all know why you're really so opposed to this plan."

Mathias stiffened at his words. He leaned forward and sneered. "I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you."

Jade raised an eyebrow innocently. "Why? So you don't have to admit that your forces aren't capable of defeating Angel Wing?"

Mathias turned his glare from Matsudo to her. "My forces are spread thin across Fiore protecting your expeditions! What few enforcers I have available are all under Kadir's command. So no, I don't think they could storm a city alone."

"Excuses, excuses," Jade said as she yawned.

Mathias clenched a fist. "You little-"

Kodama let out a loud sigh. "His lack of manners aside, Mathias has a point. You've scattered a many of our wizards across the country. For what purpose?"

Dragon finally spoke up. "The Eye of Skadi wasn't the only such artifact."

Mihara raised an eyebrow. "I see." He smirked. "So we're chasing multiple myths at a time then? Sounds like fun to me."

"You must be joking," Mathias scoffed. "Even if these artifacts exist, we don't need them. The Demon Fang Alliance is well on its way to achieving dominance across Fiore, without any help from these, whatever they are."

Kodama nodded. "I'm inclined to agree."

Dragon leaned forward and stared straight at them. "What would you rather do? Stay where we are now? Committing petty thefts, and nipping the heels of the Barom Alliance and Magic Council. Or do you want to go through with our plans, and bring them both crashing down."

"We can achieve those goals without the artifacts," Mathias insisted.

Before anyone else could say anything, Akio sauntered inside and bowed low. "My apologies for intruding. But I have news for you."

Dragon frowned. "What news?"

.

Outside…

.

Danghoul tensed at the sound of Akio's voice. Seemed he'd have to leave prematurely to avoid capture. He glanced down at the Guildhall below him. Thinking of a way to escape undetected.

"Kyle has most of our forces sweeping the castle for fear of an intruder."

"An intruder?" Matsudo asked, his tone making it impossible to tell whether or not he was surprised. "I didn't think anyone knew this island was still in operation."

"Nagata sold us out after all," Mihara murmured.

Kodama spoke up next. "It was only a matter of time before we were noticed. I doubt Nagata needed to report us to the Rune Knights. I'd wager they found us on their own."

"Regardless, we should ensure that they're no intruders before we continue," Jade said. She giggled with apparent amusement. "Can't have them learning all our secrets now, can we?"

Dragon sneered. "Matsudo, go with Akio and search for this intruder. Either find them or confirm that Kyle was wrong."

"But of course master," Matsudo replied. He rose to his feet and strolled around the table.

Danghoul held his breath as he walked by him.

Shortly after he did, Matsudo stopped, his usual smile fading into a frown.

"What are you doing?" Mathias asked.

Matsudo turned his gaze directly at the wall Danghoul had hidden behind. A small glow beginning to emit from his palm.

Danghoul's eyes widened. He moved to throw himself off the side of the tower, but he moved too late.

Matsudo brought his hand forward and fired a beam of light from the palm of his hand. Allowing it to pierce through the wall and hit Danghoul's lower back.

"Ah!" Grim's vision blurred as pain flooded his senses. He fell forward and plummeted down from the tower, landing face first on the roof of the Guildhall below. A burning sensation lingering in his back.

"Still alive? I'm impressed."

Danghoul set a hand on the ground and pushed himself onto his knees, looking up at the source of the voice.

Akio now stood ten yards across from him. His eyes glowing gold. "You've done well to make it this far. But here is where your luck ends."

Danghoul stretched out his hand. "Midnight Shadows Dance!" He molded his own shadow into a dozen black spears that he launched at Akio.

Akio raised an eyebrow as the attack drew near. "Ah, shadow magic. It's no wonder you were able to sneak past our guards." He covered both his hands in light and brought them together in front of him. "White God's Flash!" A bright flare of light caused all Danghoul's spears to vanish.

While Danghoul himself winced as his eyesight went out for a minute. He hurried to his feet and backed away. Only to feel himself be hit again as Akio stabbed him in his wounded chest. His eyesight returned, allowing him to see his predicament.

Akio held a sword of pure light in his right hand. Even with his mask on Danghoul could tell he was smirking. "This would be the White God's Sword, you'll find that it makes it rather difficult to cast any shadow magic."

Danghoul bit his lip, feeling as though his very blood was on fire. He reached back and grabbed his scythe, bringing it down on the blade of Akio's sword so hard that it broke it in half.

Akio chuckled. "Good arm."

Danghoul attempted a sloppy counterattack that his opponent easily jumped away from.

Akio folded his hands behind him. Making no attempt to finish Danghoul off. "You're strong, for a mortal."

Danghoul set a hand on his new wound. Holding his scythe in front of him defensively with his other arm. _"Thought God Slayer magic was supposed to be black,"_ he thought to himself.

"It is, in most circumstances," Akio replied.

Danghoul's eyes widened. _"How did he-?"_

"False God Slayers are self-taught from the knowledge of humans, making their magic impure," Akio explained. He set a hand on his chest and chuckled. "But unlike them, you see, I'm a True God Slayer."

Grim pointed at him with his right hand. "Dark shot!" He fired three bullets at him in rapid succession.

Akio casually stepped to the side. "My magic is pure, and as such, it has many, unique, abilities."

Danghoul took aim again but Akio sprang forward and kicked his arm to the side.

"Among them, the ability to see into your frail little mind," Akio said with a dark chuckle. His eyes glowing even brighter. He wrapped his leg in light and drove it into his opponent's gut. "White God's Heel!"

Danghoul flew back nearly five yards before landing on his back and tumbling to a stop near the edge of the roof. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to rise again. Staring at his opponent uncertainly. _"I am way out of my league."_

"Indeed!" Akio laughed loudly.

"Enough delaying boy! Kill him!" Dragon called down to them.

Akio's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "As you wish master." He let out a sigh. "So impatient, I'd hoped he'd gotten over that by now. But oh well."

Danghoul looked up at the conference hall, where Master Dragon watched from one of the open windows. He'd been sent to learn more about him and Demon Fang, yet so far he'd learned nothing about him, he couldn't help but wonder. _"Who is he? One of Master Marius' old guildmates?"_

Akio chuckled. "Soon, he will be a god."

Danghoul blinked in surprise, before shaking his head. "Ridiculous."

"Hardly, because you see." Akio summoned another sword to his hand. "It's his birthright, and mine as well." He launched himself at him.

This time, Danghoul met his charge and deflected his attack with a quick swing of his scythe. Tightening his grip on his scythe he forced himself onto the offensive, managing to keep up with Akio for a few seconds. But Akio soon took the advantage again and landed a decisive blow on his right shoulder. Danghoul grimaced but forced himself to swing again.

Akio ducked out of the way and fell back. Letting out another loud laugh. "You're certainly keeping this interesting, Danghoul Yamaca." He positioned himself for a final charge.

Danghoul sighed. _"Seems I'll have to use it after all."_ He held his scythe in front of him and breathed in. Black triable tattoos spread appeared across most of his body, leaving little of his skin visible. "Reaper's Rage."

Akio hesitated for a moment. He looked at Danghoul as though it were the first time he saw him and blinked. "I don't know how you hid your mind from me. But it will do you little good!" He grabbed his sword with both hands and charged. "I'll cut you down regardless!"

Danghoul lowered his scythe to his side.

Akio closed in and slashed at his neck.

Danghoul blocked the attack with his arm, causing the Slayer's sword to shatter.

Akio's eyes widened. "What on earthland?"

Danghoul formed his hand into a fist and drove it into his opponent's gut with enough force that he sent the Slayer flying across the roof.

Akio dug his heel into the ground and slid to a stop before hitting the wall of the tower. "How is that even," he shook off his surprise and narrowed his eyes. His fists were once again engulfed in energy. "White God's Pulse!" He launched two spheres of light from his palms.

Danghoul dodged between them and charged at blinding speed, crossing the roof in an instant.

"An impressive display, mortal! But you haven't won yet!" Akio shouted. He took a deep breath. "White God's Bellow!" He exhaled a bright beam of energy from his mouth.

Danghoul infused his scythe with his magic and swung it forward, unleashing a wave of dark magic that cut through the breath attack and hit Akio in the chest. This time succeeding in knocking him into the tower wall.

Akio lowered his head and laughed again. "Well done." He set a hand on the wall to balance himself. "I see holy magic has little effect on you in this state."

Danghoul didn't slow his pace as he moved in for the kill. Swinging his scythe for Akio's neck.

"Enough!"

A column of red fire descended and blocked Danghoul's path, forcing him to fall back. He tightened his grip on his weapon and gritted his teeth.

The fire died away, revealing Master Dragon standing in his way with his arms crossed.

Danghoul backed away step by step. His breathing growing shallow.

Dragon glanced at Danghoul in disdain. "You find my island, slip past my security, and now assault my bodyguard," He took a step forward and sighed. "I'm surrounded by incompetence. Must I perform such a menial task myself?" He lazily swung his hand, unleashing a blast of red flame.

Danghoul tumbled out of the way, countering by throwing another wave of darkness from his scythe.

Dragon knocked it into the wall with the back of his hand. He studied the black tattoos covering Danghoul body, a slight smirk crossing his face. "Ah, now I see. Your magic was taught you by a living shadow. Creatures widely considered myth, even by my standards."

Danghoul snapped his wrist, seizing control of Dragon's shadow, causing it to rise up and attack him from behind. While at the same time he rushed forward and attacked with his scythe.

Dragon turned around and destroyed the conjuration with single blow to the head. With his other hand he reached back and grabbed Danghoul's scythe just underneath the blade, stopping him in place. "If I'm not mistaken, the power you're using now is known as Reaper's Rage. A spell that feeds off the casters life force, giving him unbelievable power, at the cost of his own lifespan. Very reckless of you, I wonder, how much longer can you keep this up?"

Danghoul yanked his weapon free and went in for another strike.

Dragon ducked underneath and drove his fist into the angels gut, launching him across the roof.

Danghoul stabbed the blade of his scythe into the ground to slow himself down. Managing to stop himself before he fell off the side.

"You weren't at the Asylum, were you? I would've remembered someone like you." Dragon lowered his arm to the side. "So, I'll make you the same offer I made your Guild."

Danghoul set his hand on the floor and focused on the forest beyond the Guildhall. With enough precision, he could escape there before Dragon noticed. "Not interested."

"You should be," Dragon replied. He closed his eyes. "With the power, we'll soon wield, there'll be nothing in this world capable of stopping us."

Danghoul stared up at him. "And then what?"

"I'll create a new world, by destroying the remnants of the old," Dragon said calmly.

Danghoul lost focus for a second. "The Magic Council?"

Dragon opened his eyes and turned around to face the forest where Danghoul planned to escape. "Among other things. Mythology says that the universe was born from chaos, perhaps that's what's needed for us to start anew."

Danghoul shook off his surprise and refocused himself on the task at hand. _"Now's my chance!"_ He turned his body into a shadow and moved across the ground, down the side of the Guildhall and into the forest.

Dragon calmly raised his hand and conjured up a swirling red fireball. "Chaos God's Corruption!' He launched it into the forest with simple wave of his hand.

Danghoul morphed himself back to normal and looked up at the incoming fireball. He clasped his hands together in front of him and wrapped himself in the shadows of every tree and rock in the area, forming a mighty dome of magic.

The spell hit and exploded in a blast that consumed much of the forest. Leaving nothing but dead trees behind.

Dragon turned around and walked back towards the tower.

"A little excessive, wouldn't you say?" Akio asked rhetorically.

Matsudo hopped down from the tower to join them. "Perhaps, but I still think that he survived."

"It doesn't matter, he's of no consequence to us," Dragon said plainly. He came to a stop and folded his hands behind him. "If he knew where we are, that means the Council must as well."

Matsudo shrugged. "I suppose we should be grateful he didn't hear about our special project. Now that would've been a problem."

"We should consider relocating," Akio suggested.

Dragon chuckled. "For what reason?" He swept his arm out over the Guildhall. "This castle is home to some of the most powerful criminals in Fiore, let the Council try to attack. I doubt they even have the courage."

Matsudo folded his hands behind him. "True, but there is the matter of how they found us to consider. If they managed to bribe Nagata into talking, they may do the same to other captured members of ours."

"Nagata didn't tell them this."

Matsudo and Akio glanced at each other quizzically. "Then, who did?" the latter asked.

Dragon walked past them in the direction of the tower, his eyes narrowing. "Precisely my question."

 **Up next: The S-class Trials End**


	37. The S-class Trials End

June 12 X784

Danghoul lowered his barrier and looked around, finding himself standing in an entirely different section of the forest, away from the island itself. The tattoos on his body receded as he deactivated Reapers Rage. "What happened?"

"You nearly got yourself killed, that's what happened."

Danghoul glanced over his shoulder to see Captain Vandal standing with a company of Rune Knights at his back. He sighed in relief. "Glad to see you made it." The pain from his injuries set in, causing him to groan and lose his balance.

Two Rune Knights rushed in and grabbed him before he fell.

Vandal sauntered over to him. "Easy now. Your wounds are severe, but I doubt they'll be fatal. Lucky for you, I managed to transport you away from the island before Dragon's spell hit." He smiled. "You're welcome, by the way."

Danghoul rolled his eyes. "Thanks." Groaning as his wounds throbbed again.

Vandal's amusement vanished. "Let's get him out of here." He frowned in the direction of the island. "It won't be long before they find us."

"Yes sir." The Rune Knights began to carry Danghoul away..

Captain Vandal stayed behind for a moment, frowning in the direction of the island. Before slowly following his men.

.

In the Angel Wing Catacomb…

.

Marcus reached the top of the stairs where he stopped to catch his breath. After the trial, he'd spent at least ten minutes traversing another maze. Now that he'd gotten past it, he looked up at the path in front of him.

He'd entered a hallway where all the possible paths converged. It stretched on in one direction for at least a hundred yards, leading to a long flight of stairs. Where, at the top, Marius stood with his hands folded behind him and eyes closed.

Marcus smiled in relief. "We made it." He straightened himself up and looked back the way he came. "Hurry up! We're almost there!"

"You should conserve your energy," Raik suggested, joining him by the entrance to the hallway. "At this rate, you'll barely have any left for the final challenge."

Marcus rolled his eyes and began to run toward the finish line. "We passed our trial, all we need to do now is reach Master Marius."

"I don't think it'll be so easy," Raik commented, quickening his pace to keep up with his partner.

"Oh yeah, why not?" Marcus asked in amusement.

"Budonoki!" Two sets of vines broke out of the floor and entangled the Slayers legs, causing Marcus to trip and fall on his face.

Raik meanwhile, stopped the moment his legs were caught, allowing him to avoid falling. He folded his arms and nodded. "You see now?"

"Oh, shut up," Marcus grumbled. He formed a knife made of ice and began to saw through the vines holding him.

A short distance behind them, Diana and Luna ran out of one of the tunnels and quickly closed the gap between them.

Raik drew both his arms back, gathering up two waves of energy. "Cosmic Phoenix Wing Attack!"

Diana slid to a stop and swung her sword, knocking one of the waves aside. Only for the other to hit her in the lower stomach. She stumbled for a moment but ultimately managed to keep her balance and resume her charge.

Marcus cut free one of his legs and moved on to the other. Furrowing his eyebrows as he saw how close the girls were getting.

Raik engulfed his arms in energy and stretched them out. "Cosmic Phoenix's-"

Luna drew her pistol and fired a round into his wrist, causing him to wince and lose focus.

Diana slid to a stop in front of him and slammed her foot into the side of his face with a well-placed roundhouse kick that would've launched him into the air if his feet weren't still tied to the floor. Instead, it knocked him onto his side and left him in a daze.

"Oh boy," Marcus muttered. He cut through the last of the vines holding him and stood up to face them. He covered both his hands in ice and clasped them together in front of him. "Ice-Make-" He paused as a white magic circle appeared in the air above him.

"Divine Blast!"

A column of light descended from above and crashed down on top of him. Marcus groaned and collapsed on his face.

Both Luna and Diana abruptly stopped, their attention being drawn to the right, where Silver and Javael emerged from another of the tunnels.

"Flow 20!" Javael bolted forward and punched both women into the far wall. He let out a breath. "Flow 5." He lowered his power output to conserve his energy.

Silver smiled and nodded. "Nice work." He looked up to where Marius sat. "Now, reaching the finish line should be a walk in the park." Something grabbed his shoulder, causing him to stop.

Raik pulled the vines off his feet with his free arm and leaned back. "I wouldn't be so certain about that, my friend." He covered himself in energy and headbutted Silver. "Cosmic Phoenix Meteor!"

"Augh!" Silver stumbled away, tripping over Marcus and falling on his back.

Raik swung his foot into the side of Javael's head. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!" The force of the blow knocked Jav to the ground as well. He strolled over Marcus. "Rise and shine dragon, time to move."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Just help me up." He held out his hand.

Over by the wall, Diana sat up straight and rubbed her throbbing head. The last blow caused her to hit it against the stone surface of the wall. She rose and took a moment to catch her breath.

"You alright?" Luna asked in a weak tone. She'd also managed to rise and now stood next to her, breathing through her mouth.

"Yeah," Diana answered. She bit her lip as she watched her competitors all get back up. They didn't have much magic left, while it seemed they had a fair enough amount. She'd have to use what she did have wisely.

She looked to the left, where Marius waited at the top of the stairs. All she and Luna needed to do was reach him, and they'd win. She reached down and grabbed one of her keys.

Marcus noticed his and immediately turned her direction. "I don't think so. Ice-Make: Bow!" He formed a bow of ice in his hand and fired an arrow.

"Open! Gate of the cunning- Ah!" Diana hissed as the arrow hit her hand, causing her to lose her hold on the key, which skidded across the floor. She looked up just in time to see Marcus fire a second arrow, which she knocked out of the air with her katana.

"Electric Wings!" Silver flew past them both at high speed before either could do anything to stop him.

Diana blinked, taking a moment to process what happened.

"Flow 15!" Javael darted by an equally fast pace, catching up to his partner as they both neared the finish line.

Marcus stared at them in disbelief. "Oh no." He pointed at his partner as he took off after them. "I need you to slow them down!"

Raik nodded and stretched both his arms out in front of him. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" He launched two volleys of stars out of his palms, bombarding the floor in front of Silver and Javael, forcing them to slow down to avoid being hit.

Luna joined in by firing her revolver at them several times, managing to hit Silver once on his foot.

As he stumbled, Marcus ran up and clasped his hands together. "Ice-Make: Floor!" He brought his hands down and froze the floor of the hallway, from where he stood to the base of the stairs.

Silver and Javael both slipped and fell on their backs.

Marcus smirked in satisfaction. "Heh, got you now. Frozen Feet!" He covered his feet in a layer of ice and skated across the frozen floor, closing in on the two.

Luna turned her attention to him and started shooting again. "We'd better hurry!" she called to her partner as she took off after the Slayer.

Diana bent down and retrieved Hermes key. "Don't worry, I know what to do." She noticed Raik advancing from the corner of her eye and stepped out of the way.

"Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" Raik's punch passed an inch in front of her face, the momentum of which caused him to stumble. He regained his balance and swung his foot at her head. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!"

Diana ducked and backpedaled onto Marcus' ice, causing her to slip and nearly fall. She dug the tip of her katana into the ground to keep her balance.

"You're an excellent warrior, it's a shame I have to stop you now," Raik said calmly. He clenched his fists and moved in.

Diana stumbled out of the way, narrowly avoided slipping a second time. She set a hand on the wall to balance herself and hurried after her partner.

Raik took off in pursuit, raising his hand in front of him. "Cosmic Phoenix's Barrage!" He let loose a volley of stars that pelted both women.

"Argh!" Luna fell to her knees, scowling at the Phoenix Slayer. "Would you get lost!" She raised her gun and shot him three times in the chest.

Raik set a hand on his chest and grunted. His pace slowed as the pain set in, allowing Diana to catch up to Luna.

A little further down the hall, Marcus closed in Silver and Javael, who'd both recovered from their earlier stumble.

Silver took a deep breath. "Okay, I got this." He covered one hand in electricity and the other in light. He brought them together and poured all his remaining energy into one last spell. He drew his arms back before thrusting them forward. "Light Thunder Wave!" He launched a powerful blast of energy that moved at a rapid pace, consuming the ice on the floor as it went.

Marcus pushed himself even harder, letting out a yell as he leaped over the blast, allowing it to pass under him and fly down the hall where it hit Diana, Luna and Raik all at once. He landed next to Silver and smirked. "Gotcha."

Silver's eyes widened.

Marcus inhaled deeply. "Ice Dragon! Roar!" He bellowed a stream of ice directly into Silver's chest, blasting him into the nearest wall with enough force that it caused a few cracks to appear.

Silver groaned and fell on his face, motionless.

Marcus laughed as he thought about what'd just happened. "That, was a close one." He looked up at the stairs. "Now for the-"

"Flow 10!" Javael ran forward and drove his fist into his gut with tremendous force.

Marcus gagged as the force of the blow caused him to slide back a step.

Javael conjured a hammer of magic and brought it down on his opponent's head with all his strength.

"Ice-Make: Shield!" Marcus raised a barrier and held it up in front of him. Though the force of the blow was still enough to crack his shield. He created a sword of ice in his other hand and went on the offensive.

Meanwhile, the rest of the wizards recovered from Silver's spell. Diana glanced at her hand to find that she'd lost her key in the chaos. She groaned and scanned the floor. "Not again."

"Looking for this?"

Diana whirled around and pointed her sword in the direction of the voice.

Raik held the key in his hand and smiled. "Clever idea, but I'm afraid I can't-"

"Oh, shut up!" Luna raised her pistol and fired.

Raik tilted his head out of the way of the bullet, allowing it to whiz an inch past his ear. "As you wish." He slipped the key into his coat pocket and assumed a fighting stance.

Diana raised her katana and ran straight at him.

Raik grabbed her wrist with one hand and shoved her away with the other, countering by driving his foot into her gut. "Cosmic Phoenix Talon!"

Diana dug her heel into the ground to prevent herself from falling on her back. Ignoring the pain in her stomach as she let out a yell and renewed her charge. Unleashing a flurry of strokes that put Raik on the defensive.

Despite his best attempts at evasion, Raik suffered multiple blows to his arm and chest. Forcing him to go back on the offensive as he once again activated Cosmic Phoenix Talon and swung his foot at her head.

Diana dropped her katana and caught his leg with both hands. Her mouth forming a smirk as she realized her advantageous position.

Raik's eyes widened for a moment. Though he quickly relaxed and chuckled. "Well down milady." He clenched his right hand into a fist. "But you haven't won yet! Cosmic Phoenix Fist!" He threw a punch at her exposed cheek.

But Diana moved before the blow could land, knocking the Slayer off his feet with a sweep kick. The moment he hit the ground, she snatched up her sword and held the tip of it to his throat.

Raik folded his arm behind his hand and chuckled. "Excellent work as always."

Diana rolled her eyes. He'd only seen her action once before, briefly. She held out her free hand. "The key," she ordered, pressing the tip against his throat for emphasis.

"As you wish." Raik reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the key, tossing it onto the ground next to her.

Diana leaned down to pick it up. Her gaze leaving Raik in the process.

The Slayer immediately pushed her sword to the side with the back of his hand and sat up. "Cosmic Phoenix!" He drew back his arm. "Fist!" He hit her in the gut again. This time with enough force to throw her backward.

Diana grimaced as her vision blurred. She managed to keep a hold on the key this time as she stumbled back into Luna, who caught her before she could fall.

"Nice job," Luna said with a nod. She pushed Diana back into standing positions and stepped out from behind her. "Now, it's my turn."

Raik, now standing, reached into his pocket again. An amused expression on his face as he watched her. "Shame you came here with so little energy. Your magic truly is a sight to behold, as beautiful as its wielder."

Luna glared. "You say that again, and you're not going to walk out of here." She took aim with her revolver and fired.

Raik sidestepped the first bullet with little effort. He pulled a knife out of his coat pocket and retaliated by throwing it at her hand.

Luna stepped out of the way and shot at him twice more, missing each time as Raik continued to evade.

Diana set a hand on her forehead and breathed in. Doing her best to ignore the sound of battle throughout the rest of the hall. She held her key aloft and channeled her remaining energy into it.

Raik planted his feet on the ground and breathed in. "Cosmic Phoenix!"

Luna positioned herself in front of Diana and set her hand on the ground. Pouring the last of her energy into the floor. "Obice Radix!" A series of thick roots burst out of the ground and formed a thick wall in front of them.

"Breath!" Raik unleashed a stream of cosmic energy from his mouth, illuminating the hallway in milky-way colored light. It hit Luna's shield head on, blowing most of it away until only a thin wall remained between him and his target.

Luna gritted her teeth. "I, can't hold him for long."

"You won't need too," Diana answered. She closed her eyes. "Open! Gate of the cunning god of speed! Hermes!"

The spirit appeared in front of her and bowed low. "Called twice in one day, consider me flattered."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "Not now."

"He's getting through!" Luna warned.

Diana nodded back at the stairs. "I need you to get us from here to the top, where Marius is."

"But of course." Hermes grabbed her by the wrist and Luna by the shoulder. Covering all three of them in a golden glow.

Raik's spell finally ate through the barrier and closed in on them. Only to miss as Hermes darted out of the way, passing by him as they made their way down the hall. Raik spun around and launched a Wing Attack after them.

Hermes sped out of the way with little difficulty, allowing the spell to pass by them and slam into Javael instead. Who let out a grunt as he collapsed alongside his partner.

Raik smirked. A direct hit.

Marcus stared at his fallen opponent for a moment in confusion. Snapping out of it as Hermes darted past and began to ascend the staircase. "What the, hey!" he yelled after them. He set his fist against his palm, icy mists emitting from his body. "Ice-Make: Bazooka!" He took aim with his new cannon and fired a projectile of ice that broke into a rain of shards that rained down on the group.

Hermes came to an abrupt stop and groaned as several icicles hit him in the back. He disappeared in a bright flash. The rest of the shards pelted Diana and Luna and left them lying motionless on the stairs.

Marcus smiled in relief. "Let's go! We can reach the top before anyone gets up!" he called back to his partner.

Diana groaned, her back throbbing from the impact of the spell. Whatever magic she had left had been used up with her last summoning. She set her hands on the ground next to her and pushed herself into crouching position.

Behind her, she could hear Marcus closing in, fast. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand. Looking down at Luna, who'd only begun to recover.

Diana glanced behind her and bit her lip. They were getting too close for comfort now. She grabbed Luna by the elbow and pulled her back to her feet. "You okay?"

"I'll live," Luna groaned. She trudged up the next few stairs.

"Not so fast!" Marcus yelled up at them. Now less than five yards away. "Ice-Make!"

Diana set her hand on Luna's back and shoved her across the finish line, spinning around just as Marcus reached striking range.

"Twin Swords!" Marcus let out a yell and lunged at her with one of his icy blades.

Diana raised her foot and kicked the sword on the flat of its blade, knocking it out of the Slayer's hand and leaving him wide open.

Marcus blinked. "What the-"

Diana drove her palm into his chest, sending him tumbling down the stairs where he bowled over Raik as he came to help him. Diana let out a breath and backpedaled onto the top of the stairs. Almost losing her balance due to her weariness. Someone grabbed her by the shoulder to steady her while she caught her breath. She glanced down at the floor, then over her shoulder where Marius stood.

"Congratulations, Diana Florenca." Marius removed his hand and smiled. "You just passed the S-class examination."

Diana blinked, looking back at the stairs.

The others had only just recovered from their earlier falls and now watched them with obvious disappointment. "I take it this means we lost?" Silver asked.

Marius folded his arms. "I'm afraid so. A shame too, you all came close to winning."

Marcus shrugged. "Ah well, guess we'll have to try harder next year huh?" he asked rhetorically. He nodded at Diana. "Congratulations."

Diana smiled as the news sunk in. "Thanks."

Luna rubbed her forehead. "Wait, we won?"

Diana nodded. "We did. Thanks for your help."

"Anytime." Luna smirked. "Of course, I only say that because I know we won't ever have to do this again."

Diana chuckled.

Marius cleared his throat. "Now, while I'm sure you want to celebrate with the rest of the Guild-"

Diana crossed her arms. "You should know me better than that."

Marius snorted. "My mistake." He cleared his throat and started again. "While I'm sure you'll want to celebrate somewhere a little, quieter. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me for a minute."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Marius glanced at the rest of the group, his regular humor fading for a second. Before returning in the form of a rather fake looking smile. "Just to talk about your new position." He turned away from everyone.

"Tch, right," Diana muttered sarcastically.

Marius began to stroll down the remnants of the passageway. "Everyone, follow me."

The group followed him through and, after a short walk, found themselves on the other side of the chasm, where they'd begun the trial. Ayame meditated on the platform a few yards away from them.

Marius waved at the bridge. "Would the rest of you please, head back to the Guildhall." He turned his attention over to the gateway that loomed behind Ayame, folding his hands behind him.

"I guess," Silver murmured, eyeing the doorway suspiciously.

Javael closed his eyes. "I take it we're not supposed to ask about the-"

"No, you aren't," Ayame said flatly.

Javael frowned. "Why no-"

Raik set a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't question the lady. I'm sure she has excellent reasons for not telling us."

Luna glared at him. "Are you seriously flirting with her too?"

Raik gasped. "Why, of course not!"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Let's just get out of here. I'm sure it's nothing all that important," he said, though judging from his tone, not even he believed what he'd said. The group crossed the bridge to the other side of the chasm and climbed up the ladder to the Guildhall.

Diana looked back at Ayame and Marius. "So, are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"In a minute," Marius assured her. He closed his eyes. "First, we need to wait for the rest of your fellows to arrive."

Diana remembered facing Koan during her trial. "I take it Zion and Danghoul are down here too?"

"Zion is, Danghoul's out on a mission," Ayame explained.

They sent him on a mission while everyone else was called together? Diana furrowed her eyebrows. "What mission?"

Ayame glanced at Marius, who nodded. She looked back at Diana and answered. "Vandal received a tip on the location of Demon Fang's Guildhall."

Diana blinked. "And you sent him there, alone?"

Marius let out a sigh. "Sending a large force increases our odds of being detected, and Captain Vandal will intervene if things go wrong. Besides, if anyone can make it in and out unseen, it's him."

Diana stood against the nearby wall. Saying nothing more. She stared up at the doorway and bit her lip. What exactly did they have in there?

.

At the Demon Fang Guildhall…

.

Kyle crossed his arms and smirked. "I told you there was an intruder," he said smugly. He and the rest of Demon Fang's leading wizards were gathered in the entryway, at Matsudo's orders.

"Oh, shut up," Kadir said with a sneer. "We would've stood a much better chance of catching him if you hadn't ordered us away from our posts!"

Kyle set a hand on his chest. "I gave you the perfect opportunity to catch him, it's not my fault you squandered it."

Amelia, despite her earlier skepticism, decided to throw her lot in with Kyle. "If you'd listened to our orders things would've much easier."

Kyle rolled his eyes as he saw her taking his side. _"Would've been nice to have this support beforehand."_

Kadir scowled at the woman. "Hiding behind 'Master Aeris' now? You just keep getting more pathetic, little Blackwood."

Amelia's eyes widened. She clenched her fists. "What did you call me!?"

Alderic sighed. "Here we go again."

"Can't we all just get along?" Fenris asked jokingly.

"Shut up fairy!" Kadir snapped.

Fenris smirked. "No need to get angry with me. The way I see it, none of this would've happened if Alexander had taken him down before he reached the Guildhall."

"Don't go pinning this on me," Alexander retorted. While he'd healed his injuries, he was still weary due too lack of magic. "Akio couldn't defeat him either."

"I didn't even get to punish anyone!" Akita whined.

Achak watched the scene unfold a short distance away from the others. "Honestly would you all just-"

He was cut off by the flash of light. Everyone turned to see Matsudo standing before them with his usual smile on his face. "Now, now, no need to fight." He folded his hands in front of him. "The way Master Dragon sees it, you're all too blame!"

Silence befell the group at that declaration.

"Well, that's one way to settle an argument," Kyle said with a laugh. "Mind elaborating on what we did wrong?"

Matsudo glanced at Kyle and Amelia. "Poor communication and leadership." He turned to Kadir, Alderic, Achak and Fenris. "Subpar detection skills and teamwork." He gestured towards Alex. "Lackluster combat prowess and..."

Akita chewed on her hair lazily.

Matsudo furrowed his eyebrows. "What, did you do exactly?"

Akita shrugged. "Nothing."

Matsudo stared at her a moment longer before turning away. "Work on that then."

Alderic let out a sigh. "I take it Master Dragon is less than pleased?"

"An understatement," Matsudo answered. He folded his hands behind him. "Still, he's decided to let this incident slide, as the wizard responsible seems to be a step above the rest of his Guild."

Kadir looked him the eye. "You wouldn't call us here, just to tell us we're off the hook."

"Correct." Matsudo closed his eyes. "Master Dragon has a new mission in mind for the lot of you."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Achak asked.

Matsudo chuckled. "With our base of operations compromised, we'll have to move fast." He waved his hand in the direction of the gateway, where a minion approached with a set of folders.

The minion passed out the files, before bowing, and making his exit.

Kyle cracked his open and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"Inside are your new assignments," Matsudo explained. He reached up and straightened his bright red tie. "Succeed, and you'll be rewarded. Fail, and I don't think I need to explain what happens."

Amelia frowned. "Wait, where's my file?"

Matsudo nodded. "Kyle's holding it, you'll be working under him."

Amelia stared in disbelief. "You're kidding!"

Kyle laughed.

Amelia glared. "Oh, would you just-"

Kyle held up a finger to silence her. "Can't insult me now, I'm your boss."

Amelia's eye twitched.

Fenris snorted. "Best of luck to you." He paused for a moment, realizing he hadn't received a file either.

"You and Kadir have the same mission," Matsudo answered his unspoken question. "I trust you two will work well together."

Fenris folded his arms and smirked. "Hey, I'm willing to work with anyone, as long as they're not a wuss."

Kadir sneered.

Matsudo set a hand on his chest. "I'll leave you to get started. Remember, we expect results." In another flash, he was gone.

.

In the Angel Wing Catacombs…

.

"Now that we're all here let's begin," Marius announced. He took a step away from the door and waved at the doorway. "I've reworked the enchantments in this place so that the catacombs should respond to the presence of our S-class wizards, give it a try."

Koan and Zion both looked to Diana, who shrugged and approached the gateway, setting her hand on the surface. The emblem on it lit up before the doors themselves swung open.

Diana blinked. Hesitating a moment longer, before taking a step inside. The moment she set foot inside the walls lit up with golden inscriptions that illuminated the room. Which itself appeared to be a large lounge full of bookshelves and furniture of all kinds.

Zion whistled as he observed the area. "Quite the setup you've got here."

Koan folded his hands behind his head. Sauntering into the room. "Looks too ordinary to me."

Marius and Ayame followed them inside, the gate closing behind them.

Ayame cleared her throat. "You free to enter and exit the catacombs as you please now." She nodded at a job request board they'd set up in the corner. "This place will serve as the Guild's S-class lounge."

"I see," Zion nodded. He glanced at the board. "Is this what you gathered us here for?"

Marius and Ayame glanced at each other. "I'm, afraid not," Marius answered.

Diana came to a stop. "Then why are we here?"

Marius slipped his hands into his pockets. His expression unusually serious. "Follow me." He led the group across the room where another door awaited them. Which he opened in the same fashion as before. "I'm curious, how much do you know about First Generation God Slayers?"

"You mean like Morrigan?" Zion asked. He shrugged. "Not much, I'm afraid. Though, Winter did claim to be one."

"She was," Ayame said bluntly. "Or at least, she used to be."

Zion's eyes widened. "What?"

Marius folded his hands behind him. "Legend has it that the gods once adopted children offered to them by devotees. Who were gifted with the blood of a god, allowing them to use God Slayer magic."

Koan cocked his head and frowned. "You mean Morrigan wasn't making that up? I thought she was crazy!"

Diana and Zion stared at him blankly.

Koan frowned. "What?"

"Right, anyways." Marius stopped at the end of the hall to prevent anyone from going further. "To make a long story short, there was a rebellion against the gods waged by the first human to be adopted, otherwise known as the Father of God Slaying. It's said he created the first Slayer Lacrima to give his power to a group of followers. Who aided him in his rebellion."

Marius looked up at the ceiling. "Apparently, he nearly succeeded, only to fail due to his own exhaustion and arrogance. After his defeat, trust between the gods and their children was broken, and the children were sent away, each given an artifact from their parent as a parting gift."

Diana blew a strand of her hair to the side. "Master, my mother read me this story." She crossed her arms. "It was a fairy tale."

Marius chuckled under his breath. "If only." He took a step to the side, allowing everyone to file into the room.

Diana came out last and gasped. "What on earthland?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Zion whispered.

Even Koan seemed taken aback.

In front of them loomed a large metal coffin covered in blue writing made of pure magic. It stood about as tall as a man, sealed shut by dozens of chains. Blue smoke poured out of it from all sides, and above it a white magic circle floated, absorbing it all and channeling it into the catacomb walls.

"What is that thing?" Zion asked.

Marius crossed his arms. "Master Japheth translated some of the inscriptions on the coffin, though he never finished, a few particular terms stuck out."

Koan cocked his head. "Oh yeah? What were they?"

"Prison, traitor, and Father of God Slaying," Marius recited. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the artifact.

Diana thought over the three words. A chill running through her as she realized what they meant. "You mean, this thing is a prison for the-"

"It was, but not anymore," Marius interrupted. He sighed. "He escaped a long time ago."

Zion's eyes widened. "What!? How?"

"Possession," Marius answered bluntly. "You've seen it before with Winter. He used the same means to escape from his prison. And is now known as Master Dragon of Demon Fang."

Zion winced. "So, Dragon's taken over someone's else's body." He lowered his gaze to the floor and sighed. "Who's?"

Marius closed his eyes. "An old friend of mine named Jayden."

"Can't you free him? Like I did with Isabella?" Zion asked.

"No, and believe me, I've tried," Marius said with a sigh. "Dragon has far more mastery over the spell than Winter ever did, for all we know, he could've been the one to create it in the first place. Defeating him won't free my friend. He's a lost cause."

Silence followed his declaration. Until Koan spoke up. "So, if Dragon has a body, why does he need this thing?"

"His new body isn't as powerful as the old," Ayame answered. "Beyond that, this coffin seems to have another purpose, though I couldn't tell you what it is."

Diana breathed in and set a hand on her forehead. "Okay." She exhaled. "So, let's say he gets his body back, what happens then?"

"Let's just focus on avoiding that," Marius said grimly.

Zion swallowed hard.

"Just to be clear, you're not permitted to speak of this with anyone below the rank of S-class," Marius said sternly. "We had to relocate the tomb after Jayden's possession. If word gets out and Dragon finds out where it is…"

"We understand," Diana answered.

Koan nodded in an uncharacteristically solemn fashion.

Marius slipped his hands into his pockets and turned away. "We better head up before people start to get suspicious. We'll answer whatever questions you have later."

Zion turned away and inhaled. "Understood." The group slowly departed, one at a time, until only Ayame and Diana were left standing in the room.

Diana shook her head. "This doesn't even feel real."

"I know you how you feel," Ayame grumbled. Her face betraying a hint of sadness. "But it's true, trust me."

Diana slowly followed the rest of the group out of the tunnel.

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

Upstairs, the Guild had begun a premature celebration, blissfully unaware of the conversation occurring below.

"This is the most ridiculous thing, I've ever seen," Julie commented as she stared at the painting. She pointed at herself with her thumb. "And believe me, I've seen a lot of weird things in my life."

Kayden crossed her arms. "Hey! This happens to be some of my best work." The painting in question depicted Diana dressed as an assassin with a cold look in her eye, holding her Assassins Blade.

Julie smirked. "You know Diana's going to kill you when she sees this, right?"

Kayden waved her hand dismissively. "She's not going to see anything! You heard Silver, she's been held back for some secret S-class meeting."

Luna laughed as the women argued. "Actually, it's kind of fitting, considering what we had to go through for her trial."

Kayden smirked proudly. "See?"

Julie raised her hands in mock surrender. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She noticed Ashley walk past with a new pitcher of rum and immediately took off after her.

Luna stood up and stretched. "I've got a garden to attend to. See you later!" She waved as she also left.

Kayden returned the wave before spinning around to face her painting once more. _"Okay, now to get this out of here."_ She reached out to grab it but stopped, remembering her talk with Emma a week earlier. _"That's right! Now that Marcus is back I can tell him!"_

Leaving her painting, Kayden ran a trek around the room until she found Marcus, who'd busied himself writing at a table. She slid to a stop in front of him, bumping into the table and causing his hand to slip.

"Ah, for crying out, what are you doing here?" Marcus asked in irritation, tearing out and discarding the now ruined page of his notebook.

Kayden grinned as though she didn't notice the chilly reception and began to speak. "I just remembered something weird that happened with Emma a week ago, I decided I should tell you about it."

Marcus rolled his eyes as he resumed his writing. "She's always acting weird. Now, if you don't mind…"

"No really! You need to listen, we were talking when wait, are you writing?" Kayden strayed off subject.

"I was before you showed up," Marcus mumbled.

Kayden seated herself across from him, much to his dismay, and leaned forward. "I didn't know you were a writer, what are working on?"

"Nothing you'll ever read."

Kayden frowned. "Jerk."

Marcus began to write the next sentence in his project. "Didn't you have something to tell me?"

Kayden perked back up. "Oh yeah." She cleared her throat. "Like I said, I was talking with Emma the other week, and she suddenly got all quiet and reclusive after reading that personnel file of Serpents Fang."

"Serpents what?" Marcus looked up from his writing.

Kayden smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right, you weren't there. Well basically…" She hurriedly explained all the details of the mission to him before concluding with. "... Emma got upset and left, so I checked the file, and I found a picture of a member of Demon Fang."

Marcus stiffened at the news. "What?" He dropped his pen and stood up. "Who?"

Kayden blinked, taken aback by his sudden interest. "Akita, you know, the crazy dominatrix?" She frowned as she recalled their mission against Silent Fist. "Now that I think about it didn't you also-"

Marcus clapped his hand over her mouth. "Would you be quiet for a second!" he growled under his breath.

Kayden narrowed her eyes and pushed his arm down. "What's gotten into you?"

Marcus stared back at her, softening after a moment. He sighed. "Sorry. But this is personal business." He tightened his white trench coat and walked off toward the door. "Stay out of it."

Kayden huffed in annoyance. She spun around and stomped off toward her painting. Coming to an abrupt stop as she saw Diana emerge from the back room. "Oh, hey Diana. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Yeah, thanks," Diana said dismissively. She slowed to a stop next to Kayden's painting and glanced at it.

Kayden smiled to hide her nervousness. "Uh, I can explain."

Diana stared at it a moment longer, before looking away. "Nice painting."

Kayden blinked. "Um, thanks."

Diana promptly left without saying anything more.

Kayden watched her leave with a dumbfounded expression. _"She, is totally an assassin."_

 **Up next: Gauntlet of Athena**


	38. Gauntlet of Athena, Day One

**Hello everyone, as you may have noticed, I deleted the previously posted chapter. As I was dissatisfied with the results and wanted to start fresh. I apologize for the delay this has caused, and I promise I'll try not to make a habit of deleting chapters after I post them. Anyway, while I'm working on the new version of the arc, I decided I should post something in the meantime. So I created this, it was meant to be an interlude, but it evolved into more of a three-shot. And, I'm unsure as to whether I'll be posting the new arc or a continuation of this next update, so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Characters...**

 **Angel Wing: Morrigan, Marcus, Diana**

 **I'll warn you in advance, this chapter is a little on the random side.**

June 15 X784

Things in Draycott fell back into their usual routine following the S-class exams. Though Danghoul had yet to report back from his quest, Captain James Vandal sent word ahead that he'd gotten out safely, embellishing his own role of course. Only the S-class remained aware of Danghoul's mission or what lurked beneath the Guildhall.

Morrigan walked down the road leading to Town Hall, raising an eyebrow at the commotion in the streets. Long lines extended from a booth set up outside the front doors where people were signing up for something. She slowed to a stop, vaguely recognizing around half the participants from the Guild. Mainly, she noticed a familiar raven-haired woman standing near the front of the line, watching them progress. "Diana?"

The Celestial Wizard glanced at her. "Hm? Oh, hi Morrigan," she greeted in her usual nonchalant manner.

Morrigan blinked in mild surprise. The woman had seldom been seen since the S-class trials. "Where have you been lately?"

"Around," Diana answered vaguely. She nodded at the line. "You here to join the festival?"

Morrigan kept her eye on the line as she joined her next to the booth. She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't even know there was a festival today."

Diana smirked. "Can't say I blame you." She nodded back at Town Hall. "The mayor created it a few weeks ago. Apparently it's based on some old holiday."

"I see." Nothing outside of the ordinary for Draycott. Morrigan waved at the line. "So why are they all here?"

Diana scratched the back of her head. "I don't know, something about a contest." She shrugged. "Nothing all that exciting."

"You must be joking miss!"

Diana cringed at the sound of one of the booth attendants walking over to them. She distanced herself by a few steps and frowned. "Can I help you?"

The festival worker was a rather jovial middle-aged man dressed in an exaggerated costume meant to depict a cleric, specifically, one of Athena's.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow, before glancing over her shoulder. One of her mother's old temples stood across the street from Town Hall, a statue of the goddess standing in the road between the two structures. Did the festival have something to do with her?

"What you see here is the sign up booth for the Gauntlet of Athena!" the attendant bellowed. "Draycott's newest wizard competition! One previously practiced by our own ancestors!"

"Doubt most competitors ancestors even lived here," Diana grumbled.

If the attendant heard her at all, he didn't let it dissuade him. "Over the course of a three-round contest, we test teams of wizards against one another, the winning team receives one hundred thousand jewel apiece and a trip inside the Temple of Athena."

Morrigan set a hand on her chin and grinned. A local competition between wizards sounded interesting to her.

Diana rolled her eyes. "No offense, but what would we want in an old temple?"

The attendant laughed to defuse her annoyance. "Well, there are some who say that in the old days, Athena would appear before the winner of the contest and award them with a brand new spell for their efforts."

Morrigan's eyes gleamed at the thought. A new spell and all she needed to do was defeat a few grunts from the Guild? She set a hand on her chest. "Sign me up."

Diana glanced at her in surprise.

The attendant laughed. "Marvelous!" His smile waned slightly. "Of course, you will have to wait through the line, we can't have you cutting ahead."

Morrigan's grin vanished.

Diana shrugged and turned away. "Well, good luck." She started to leave when Morrigan grabbed her wrist and held her back. Diana frowned. "What?"

Morrigan kept her gaze on the employee. "You said this is for teams of wizards, does that mean I need one?"

The attendant nodded. "Two others besides yourself."

Morrigan furrowed her eyebrows. "Hmm, I can do that." She walked toward the back of the line, dragging Diana along behind her. "Now I just need one more…"

Diana scoffed. "Two more actually, I'm not joining."

Morrigan stopped at the back of the line, tightening her grip as Diana tried to pull her arm free. "Why not? I doubt you have anything else to do today."

Diana averted her gaze as her cheeks lightly colored. "How do you know I don't have any-"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow.

"… Okay I don't," Diana admitted. "But I still don't want to do this."

"One hundred thousand jewel," Morrigan said enticingly.

Diana pondered the thought, before letting out a sigh. "Tch, fine, I'll do it."

Morrigan let go of her wrist and smirked. "Good." She looked both ways in search of a potential third teammate. "Now, I just need one more."

Diana folded her arms, doing nothing to assist.

"Hey guys." Marcus approached the women, looking as confused as Morrigan was a minute ago. "What's going on around here?"

Morrigan sized him up for a moment before nodding. "You'll do."

Marcus blinked. "Uh, what?"

.

A half hour later…

.

The street outside the Town Hall was now full of wizards from all over the region hoping to test themselves in the Gauntlet. A little over twenty teams in total signed up before the deadline for registration hit. At last, the attendant that'd spoken to Diana and Morrigan earlier stepped out, overlooking the crowd from the top of the steps leading up to Town Hall.

"Good evening esteemed wizards of Angel Wing and beyond!" the announcer began. "We're here today to hold, for the first time in our generation, the Gauntlet of Athena!"

Marcus sighed. "How'd I get suckered into this." He crossed his arms as he stood between his two new partners near the back of the crowd. He glared at Morrigan. "And why?"

"We needed a third, you were the first person I saw," Morrigan said bluntly. "And you're getting paid, so don't complain."

"Glad to feel appreciated," Marcus said sarcastically.

"For the first day of the festival we have a special task in mind for you." The announcer took a piece of paper from one of the other attendants and held it up. "Upon signing up, you should've received this list, is there anyone without one?"

Morrigan glanced at the flier in her right hand and nodded. Nobody else in the crowd seemed to have lost theirs either. Not with how the attendants insisted they hold onto it.

The announcer grinned and continued. "Excellent, on this list is a series of hints that will lead you to certain spots in the city. There, your goal is to retrieve a scroll hidden in that area, kept in a metal case to keep them from blowing away. When you find a scroll, you must return it here before you seek another, you may also use any of your magic to stop each other, should you wish. But inflicting any serious injuries is punishable by law, am I understood?"

Some of the crowd murmured affirmations.

"Okay, the contest ends when all scrolls have been found. You need a minimum of three to pass on to the next round, though you may take more than that if you wish. The top twelve will move on to the next round," the announcer concluded. "You may begin when ready."

Half the crowd immediately took off in every direction, others weren't far behind. Only a few remained behind to check their fliers.

Morrigan held hers up and grinned. "Alright, let's see where we should begin."

Diana and Marcus took position on either side of her to get a good look themselves.

Morrigan ran her finger along the page as she read the first line. "Let's see, it says there's one 'on the wall of a three-pointed cove' in the west of Draycott. Where would that be?"

Diana thought for a moment before shrugging. "That's easy enough, it's clearly referring to Poseidon's Cove, it's one of the most famous beaches in town."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "They didn't put a lot of thought into these things, did they?"

"It's a pretty big area," Diana pointed out. "I don't think they need to be that cryptic."

Morrigan mentally thought of the quickest way to get to the beach. "Right." She folded it in half and slipped it down the front of her breastplate. "To the beach it is."

Diana flushed. "Don't you have any, pockets?"

Morrigan shrugged. "I don't need them."

Marcus cleared his throat. "Right, sure." He took a few steps away. "Let's just get going."

.

At Poseidon's Cove…

.

"And here we are," Morrigan declared. The team now stood at the top of the cliff overlooking the beach. Down below on a long strip of rock leading out into the ocean, stood a massive gray temple with a statue of Poseidon standing next to it, facing the sea. Standing tall enough so that the top of it almost reached the height of the cliff. A set of stairs stood nearby that led down to the beach.

Marcus looked down at the crowded beach uncertainly. "So, it's somewhere down there, huh?"

Morrigan closed her eyes and smirked. "It won't be a problem. I doubt they'd put where just anyone could find it. Probably somewhere a little more obscure."

"True," Marcus answered. He ran a hand through his black hair. "I guess we better get started. The beach isn't getting any smaller the longer we wait."

"Hm," Diana mumbled.

The group split apart from each other to see what they could spot. Morrigan ran and down the side of the cliff, stopping every so often to scan the area, before moving back. On her third trip across the border, she paused to catch her breath.

Diana glanced at her. "Find anything?" Unlike the others, she'd hardly moved at all. Instead, she spent her time admiring the sea.

Morrigan looked up at her and frowned. "Glad to see you're putting so much effort into this," she said sarcastically. She tilted her head and smirked. "Or are you searching the ocean?"

Diana shrugged. "I didn't even want to sign onto this thing." She folded her arms behind her head. "Not like I'm learning a new spell from this unless they're going to conjure up a new key for me."

Morrigan huffed.

"Hey!" Marcus called over to them. He ran up the stairs and hurried over to them. "I think I found it!"

"Really?" Morrigan stood up straight, forgetting her exhaustion. "Where?"

Marcus came to a stop several yards away and pointed at the cliff wall beneath their feet. "Right there!"

Morrigan peered over the side of the cliff. Sure enough, she spotted a metal case sticking out from the brown surface of the rock, about halfway down. She smirked. "Clever."

Diana folded her hands behind her. "How are we going to reach that?"

Marcus waved his hand. "Ah, that's easy."

Morrigan nodded in agreement. "I'll just climb down and get it myself."

Marcus blinked. "Not exactly what I was going to-"

Morrigan grabbed onto the edge of the cliff and swung herself down, beginning her slow descent toward the scroll.

Marcus scratched the back of his head. "I was just going to say, I could make us a ladder."

Diana shook her head, though she hardly seemed surprised.

Morrigan paused and cleared her throat. "Well, there's no need for that." She quickened her pace. "I'll take care of it myself."

"Whatever you say," Marcus answered.

It took a total of five minutes for Morrigan to reach the scroll in the cliff wall. She let out a breath, realizing how close she was.

"Again! A ladder would've been faster!" Marcus called down to her.

Morrigan grit her teeth but didn't say anything. She reached out with her right hand, wrapping it around the base of the scrolls metal case. With a hard pull, she yanked it out. "Got it!"

"Great!" Marcus clasped his hands together. "Now do you want me to make a-"

Morrigan glared.

Marcus raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright fine, you can climb up yourself."

Diana had taken to relaxing under the shade of a tree while she waited, smirking as she overheard the brief argument.

Morrigan tightened her grip on the scroll and began to climb back up, grumbling under her breath as she went. Halfway back to the top she stopped, hearing what almost sounded like footsteps coming from behind her.

Marcus, who'd wandered off after the first minute, overheard as well. "What's that noise?" He stood up and peered over the edge of the cliff, his eyes widening. "Morrigan look out!"

Before the God Slayer could react, someone ran past her, swiping the scroll in the process.

Morrigan glanced at her hand and gasped. "What?" She looked up and scowled at the tailed figure. "Sora!"

The fox-boy stopped and waved down at her, grinning in his signature fashion. "Sorry Morrigan, you snooze you lose!" He'd covered the bottom of his feet in spikes, allowing him to walk up the side of the steep cliff.

Morrigan snarled. "You'll pay for that!" She pointed her arm at him. "War God's Proton Cannon!" She created an orb of crimson energy around her hand and fired it at the target.

Sora hopped out of the way and resumed his getaway, laughing as he went.

Morrigan attempted to climb after him but moved too slowly to ever hope to catch up. "Get, back, here!"

Sora's grin widened as he sped up as fast as he dared to. Only to stop abruptly as he came face to face with both Marcus and Diana. "Oh, right, forgot about you guys."

Marcus smirked. "Didn't think this one through, did you?"

Diana stretched out her arm. "Now, hand it over."

Sora sighed and started to hold it out. "Okay…"

The sand behind Diana and Marcus began to stir, forming into the shape of long chains. "Sand Shackles!" Both chains suddenly rose and wrapped around both wizard's arms, pinning them down.

"What?" Diana asked as rare surprise showing on her face. She glanced over her shoulder, frowning as she saw Petra standing twenty yards away, with Kyouko standing close by. She sighed. "Great, he brought friends."

Marcus scoffed. "Should've known."

Sora swung himself on top of the cliff. "See you later!" He ran off to join his teammates near the entrance to Draycott Park.

Marcus tightened his jaw and focused, icy mists surfacing around him. The sand holding his arms froze solid, with a sharp pull he broke free of it all, sending shards of ice scattering across the ground. He set his fist on his palm. "Ice-Make: Sword!" He formed the weapon in his hand, using it to cut his teammate free.

Diana immediately whipped out a key and held it out in front of her. "Open! Gate of The cunning god of Speed! Hermes!"

Hermes appeared before her in a flash of light. "Ready to serve milady." He said with a short bow.

Diana ignored his usual flirtatious tone and pointed at Sora and his fleeing team. "I need you to cut them off before they escape!"

Hermes grinned. "But of course." He spun around and darted after them at light speed, easily overtaking them. He slid to a stop in front of them and smirked. "Not so fast."

Sora and the others stumbled to a stop.

"Re-quip!" Diana summoned her katana and ran to join her spirit at the park. "Help Morrigan!" she called to Marcus as she left.

The Slayer nodded. "Right." He turned around and glanced down at Morrigan, who'd yet to reach the top. Marcus knelt and set his hands on the ground in front of him. "Ice Make: Ladder!" Two streams of ice extended from the top of the cliff to Morrigan, forming a perfect ladder.

Morrigan grabbed ahold and scaled to the top.

Marcus took a step back to allow her to pull herself up. "So, ladders, pretty useful, wouldn't you say?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, shut up," Morrigan grumbled. She brushed the dirt off her armor and frowned in the direction of the park, where Diana and Hermes now fought the other team. "Let's get our scroll back." She and the other Slayer ran off to help their teammate.

"Needle Spray!"

"Sand Spears!"

Sora and Petra unleashed their respective spells. But Hermes continued to weave between and around each of the projectiles, smirking at their evident frustration. "Nice try." He sped over to Sora and shoved him onto the grass. "But you'll have to be faster than that."

Petra took a step back and raised her fists.

Hermes shook his head. "So sorry milady, but I'll have to take you down as well." He darted up to her and tried to do the same. Only this time his hand passed through her skin and got stuck there. His eyes widened. "What!?"

Petra's body turned completely into sand.

Hermes let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness." He paused. "Wait a minute." He glanced up at the tree above him.

Sure enough, Petra sat on one of the lower branches, smirking at him. "Sorry, but that's just a sand clone." She clapped her hands together. "Detonation!"

"That doesn't sound good," Hermes mumbled.

Petra's clone erupted in a blast of sand that sent Hermes flying back onto the ground, where he groaned and disappeared.

Diana meanwhile, found herself locked in a swordfight with Kyouko, though the cat-girl treated it more like play than an actual duel. All her moves were light and telegraphed, making it easy to block. Diana herself slowed her movements to her level. At one point the two locked weapons, allowing Diana to push her back.

Kyouko retreated a few steps. Her cheerfulness evident on her face despite her disadvantage. She let out a rather happy sounding yell and lunged for her opponent's chest.

Diana stepped to the side and extended her leg, causing Kyo to trip and fall on his face.

"Ow." Kyouko slowly stood up, rubbing the top of her head.

Diana could've pressed her advantage but hesitated to do so. Instead of waiting for her opponent to recover.

Kyouko spun around and grinned. "You're kind of good!"

Diana shrugged. "Thanks." She would've returned the compliment, but she'd yet to see the wizard fight seriously.

As though reading her mind, Kyouko's smile almost seemed to turn devious. She grabbed the hilt of her sword with both hands and let loose a flurry of strikes that succeeded in pushing Diana back toward the trunk of a tree. Ending her volley by driving her palm into her opponent's chest.

Diana grimaced and fell back, now bumping into the tree. She parried the next blow with a quick swing snap of her wrist and went on the offensive, regaining whatever ground she'd lost to Kyo.

"Ice Make: Floor!"

Diana heard the call just in time and jumped back, grabbing onto the branch of a nearby tree to keep her balance as the grass froze over.

Kyouko and Petra both slipped and fell on the ground near each other. While Sora managed to escape by finding a tree of his own to cling too.

"Frozen Feet!" Marcus leaped into the air, freezing his feet in the process. He landed and slid across the ice toward them.

Petra scrambled to her feet and pointed her arm at him. "Sand Spears!" Six projectiles formed in the air around her and launched themselves at the Slayer.

Marcus stretched his hand out and focused on a small patch of ice in front of him. "Ice Make: Ramp!" The frozen surface of the ground bent up into a makeshift ramp he used to launch himself into the air, over both the spears and the girls. He clasped his hands in front of him. "Ice Make: Prison!" He formed a cage of ice beneath him and dropped it on top of them, trapping Petra and Kyouko inside.

"Hey!" Petra objected.

Marcus landed on the other side of the cage and kept sliding along, looking back and smirking at his work. "I'm starting to get good at this-" He was clotheslined by Sora before he could finish, sending him sprawling across the ice on his back.

Diana grimaced. "Ouch."

Petra walked up to the bars of the cage and glared at them, as though hoping her heated stare would cause the bars to melt. "We're stuck in here," she stated, as though it weren't obvious.

Kyouko gestured for her to calm down. "Don't worry, I can get us out of here." She breathed in.

Morrigan cleared her throat, drawing both girl's attention. She walked up to the edge of the cage and set a hand on her sword. "I wouldn't, if I were you."

Kyouko laughed nervously. "On second thought, it might not be worth it."

Morrigan lowered her hand and smirked. "That's what I thought."

Diana rolled her eyes. "That's one way to keep them from escaping."

Morrigan heard her and glared with evident disapproval. She walked over and set a hand on her hip. "Something tells me you're not taking this all that seriously."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "What was your first hint?"

Morrigan scoffed. "You, struggling against Kyouko." She noticed Sora trying to sneak away in the confusion. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at him. "The scroll, give it back."

Sora froze for a second. But he soon regained his usual confidence. "I don't think so." He hopped onto and scaled up the trunk of a tree, bringing him to the top. He set himself up and smirked. "I don't need to give you anything, I'm a lot faster than any of you."

Morrigan rolled her eyes. "Honestly." She sauntered up to the trunk of the tree, setting a hand on her sword.

Sora blinked. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Morrigan slashed Clarent across the surface of the tree trunk.

Sora's eyes widened. "Did you seriously just-" He never finished as the tree creaked and fell down with him still on it, crashing onto the ground next to Marcus' ice prison.

Morrigan sheathed Clarent and walked over, swiping the scroll while Sora was still in a daze. "Problem solved."

Diana stared at the battlefield, from the frozen ground to collapsed tree. She smirked and shook her head. "There's no way this tournament isn't getting banned."

Marcus sat up. "Yeah." He set a hand on his forehead, now decorated with a red mark. "Or at least regulated, sheesh."

Petra walked over and grabbed the bars. "Are you just going to leave us here?" She pouted. "But we'll never pass this way!"

Morrigan walked away from the site of battle. "You can free yourself, after we're out of sight." She stopped and glared at her teammates. "Now let's go! We've wasted enough time on this."

Marcus sighed. "Only two more to go."

.

At Draycott Town Hall…

.

"Any chance our next hunt will be a little less, confrontational?" Marcus wondered aloud, still caressing the mark that'd formed on his forehead. He sighed. "Because I don't think three consecutive battles will go well for us."

Morrigan walked at the front of the group, increasing her pace whenever either of her teammates overtook her, so it stayed that way. "You only took one hit," she said dismissively. Her eyes narrowed and shifted to the side where Diana sauntered along. "Besides, that wouldn't have happened at all if someone was taking this seriously."

Diana shrugged. "I told you, I didn't even want to join the festival."

Morrigan crossed her arms. "But you did, so start pulling your weight!"

Diana looked up at her and stared for a minute, eventually looking away. "Fine." She blew a few strands of her raven hair aside. "If I'm stuck here, I might as well."

"Good," Morrigan said curtly. She looked ahead as they approached the booth set up outside Town Hall. She set the scroll down on top of it. "We're here to turn in a scroll."

"I see," the attendant said. He picked up the case and nodded. "Team Wrathblade, correct?"

"I still can't believe we let her name the team after herself," Marcus mumbled.

Diana closed her eyes. "Guess we know what it's like to be a member of Team _Julie_ now."

Morrigan cleared her throat as if to tell her teammates to quiet down. "Now, are we free to look for another scroll?" she asked the attendant. With her other hand, she reached into her armor and withdrew the sheet of paper from before, scanning over the many riddles. "I doubt we have time for delay. Any one of these scrolls could've been taken by now."

"Yes, which is precisely why I have an offer for you," the attendant spoke up.

"Hm?" Morrigan peered up at him. "What offer?"

The attendant cleared his throat. "As a part of this competition, you can choose to answer a single question. If you do, I'll cross out all riddles that lead to scrolls that have already been taken," he explained. He chuckled. "Should save you some trouble."

Morrigan set a hand on her chin. "I see." Nodding after a few seconds. "Okay, I agree."

Diana glanced at her and blinked. "Huh?"

Marcus scratched the back of his head. "Are you sure about this?"

Morrigan turned her chin up and smirked. "I'm the daughter of Athena. If this is really my mother's festival, I bet I'll already know the answers to all of their questions."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" She turned around and started walking away. "Great, I'll be over here if you need me."

The attendant nodded. "Very well, let's begin." He picked up a sheet of paper and cleared his throat. "What is the meaning of life?"

Morrigan quickly grabbed Diana's arm. "Not, that I won't need a little assistance."

Diana smirked. "Slightly more advanced than you thought?" She spun around and rejoined her at the booth. "Not sure what else you expected from Athena's festival."

Morrigan scoffed. "I expected questions about combat, maybe a few about magic. Not, _philosophy_." The way she spoke the word made it sound like an insult.

Marcus glanced over his shoulder in the direction Athena's temple. "Isn't that kind of her thing? Did you seriously not learn any of it?"

"My mother never taught me," Morrigan objected. "And the only thing I read regularly is erotica!"

The attendant blinked. "Uh…"

Diana set a hand on her forehead and smiled wryly. "I don't whether to be impressed by your boldness or appalled by your shamelessness."

"Appalled, definitely appalled," Marcus replied.

Morrigan glared at the pair of them. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Diana lowered her hand and sighed. "Let's see." She glanced at the attendant. "Am I allowed to use magic to help find the answer?"

The attendant coughed. "Oh, uh, yes." He screwed open the top to the case and pulled out the scroll that laid inside. "Just write your answer down here when you're ready."

Diana nodded and reached down for her key ring.

Morrigan furrowed her eyebrows, before grinning as she realized what her partner was about to do.

Diana grabbed one of her keys and stretched it out in front of her. "Open! Gate of The sophisticated-" Before could finish the gate appeared on its own and Athena leaped out, landing in front of her. Diana stumbled away. "What the heck!?"

Marcus backed way as well. "Well, at least she's eager."

Some of Morrigan's sternness vanished. She smiled and bowed slightly. "Hello, mother."

Athena matched the smile. "Always a pleasure Morri."

Diana regained her bearings and glared. "Why'd you come out so fast? I didn't even finish the spell!"

Athena set a hand on her cheek as her smile brightened. "Oh, I know, but I couldn't help it! When I heard that both my students were participating in my old festival, I simply had to hurry!"

Diana narrowed her eyes. " _Both_ your students?"

Morrigan nodded at the dazed attendant. "We've just entered the first round of the contest." She smirked. "Though I had to drag Diana along with me."

Marcus cleared his throat.

"Oh." Morrigan rolled her eyes. "And him too."

Athena giggled. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Athena," Diana tone raised in exasperation. "Do you really think I'm your student?"

Athena cocked her head innocently. "Aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!" Diana insisted.

Athena giggled again and dismissively waved her arm. "Oh, calm down Dia, you're making a scene."

Diana stopped abruptly and looked around, realizing how much attention she'd drawn from the public. She shut her mouth and averted her gaze as her cheeks colored. "Can you help us or not?"

Athena frowned. "Help with what?"

"The contest," Diana groaned. "They just asked us what the meaning of life is."

Athena set a hand on her chin and nodded. "Oh, the scroll hunt." Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, you mean neither of you can think of an answer?"

Morrigan shook her head.

Athena frowned and crossed her arms. "Humph, some students you are. Of all people, you two should have some idea of what to say."

"Still not your student," Diana grumbled.

Morrigan scratched the back of her head. "I, you know I never studied philosophy. I'm not sure what the answer is."

Athena turned her back on them and huffed. "And let me guess, you need me to answer it for you, is that right?" she asked in a tone that was somehow even more condescending than it usually was.

"More or less," Morrigan admitted awkwardly.

Athena sighed. "Fine." She picked up the scroll and took a pen from the booth, scribbling down an answer while the attendant continued to stare with a blank expression.

Marcus tried to see what she wrote but couldn't see anything before she rolled up the scroll and set it on the table.

"There," Athena said firmly.

The attendant snapped out of his daze. "Uh, right." He grabbed the scroll and stored it away in the cabinet below. He held out his hand. "Give me your list, and I'll update it for you."

Marcus frowned. "He didn't even look at her answer."

Morrigan did as the worker requested, keeping herself as far away from her mother as possible. While she doubted she'd be punished for not knowing the answer, it didn't hurt to be safe.

Athena turned away and huffed. "I take it that's all you need from me."

"Yeah, that's all," Diana said with a short nod. "Thanks for your help."

Some of Athena's anger softened at that. "Of course, see you soon my students." She vanished again in a flash.

"Not your student," Diana grumbled.

The attendant handed them back their list. "Here you are, every scroll that's already been turned in has been crossed out."

Morrigan snatched it up and skimmed over the text. Roughly a quarter of the riddles had been scribbled out. "Hmm, which to know?"

Marcus crossed his arms and shrugged. "I don't know, pick one at random. Not like it matters what order we get them in."

"True." Morrigan's gaze stopped at the bottom of the page. "Let's see, 'outside the den of commerce, a trove of knowledge from years long past to present day.'"

"The library," Marcus said immediately.

"The one in the Market Square," Diana added.

Morrigan glanced at the attendant, unimpressed. "How long did it take you to come up with these?"

"Uh, not long," he admitted.

.

At the Draycott Library…

.

Located next door to the Market Square, the Draycott Library stood four stories tall, with thick stone walls built to muffle the noise of the market outside. Inside, were towering bookshelves full of volumes from the past to the present. With the newer books located higher up.

Marcus pulled out the last book on the shelf and flipped through it. "And, it looks like there's nothing on floor three." He shoved it back where he found it and walked up the stairs to join his teammates. "Any luck up there?"

Diana shook her head. "Not yet." She perused one of the many shelves, looking up and sighing as she realized she couldn't reach them. "Come here a second."

Marcus groaned as he realized what she needed. "Yeah, I got it." He clasped his hands together. "Ice Make: Stepladder!" He formed the object on the ground next to his partner.

Diana nodded, pushing it in front of her with her left foot. "Thanks." She climbed to the top and continued her search.

Marcus moved to the shelf next to hers and skimmed over the titles. "I know I said earlier that I could've created a ladder, but I'd prefer not being an errand boy either."

"Marcus! I need you!" Morrigan called over to him.

Marcus let out a breath. "Like that."

Diana shrugged. "Sorry, your magic is just useful for things like this." A hint of mischievousness crossed her face. "Besides, I thought you wanted appreciation."

"Ha ha," Marcus said dryly. He walked over to Morrigan and created another ladder for her. "I guess this beat's you trying to climb up the shelves. Though I would prefer you simply get an actual stepladder."

"They're all in use," Morrigan pointed out. She stepped on top. "We're weren't the only ones who had this idea."

Marcus glanced over his shoulder. From the fourth-floor balcony, he could see most of the library, which teemed with wizards all on the same challenge. "I guess." He crossed his arms. "But still, how would you feel if people asked you to use your magic for such trivial reasons."

Morrigan grunted in response. She pulled another book out and huffed. "Where is this thing?" She discarded it without a second thought. "We've searched every inch of the first three floors, and there's nothing!"

"Still half the building to go," Marcus pointed out.

Morrigan groaned. "What if we missed something on the lower floors?"

"With all the teams scanning it? Doubtful." Marcus turned around and walked up to the balcony railing, peering down at the lower levels. He noticed a familiar group on the third floor beneath them. Raising an eyebrow. "Hey, I think that's Sam and Alicia." He squinted. "Looks like they're with Zion too."

Morrigan tore her gaze away from the shelf and looked their way. "Another team huh? Hm, doesn't surprise me."

Marcus leaned forward and looked closer. "Looks like Sam's searching some of the potted plants."

Morrigan paused. "We didn't check the plants, did we?"

Marcus shook his head. "Can't say that we did." As he watched he noticed the glint of something beneath the leaves of the plant. He grimaced. "And, it looks like they might find it."

Morrigan whirled around and to the railing. "What!?" She noticed the scroll case too and scowled. "We've wasted too much time here to lose now!"

Marcus ran a hand through his hair. "What can we do from here? Not like I can hit them with a spell, we're in a public place."

Morrigan hopped on top of the railing. "Fine! I'll do it myself!"

Marcus winced, sensing that they were about to get into more trouble. "Do, what exactly?"

Diana finally noticed the commotion and started walking over.

"War God's Shock Leg!" Morrigan ignited both her feet in crimson energy, launching herself across the room and down a level. Where she tackled Sam moments before he reached the scroll.

Marcus sighed. "And, there she goes."

Diana arrived at the railing, watching Morrigan from the corner of her eye. "Do I even want to know?"

Meanwhile, Morrigan pulled herself off Sam and backed up toward the plant. She reached in and seized the scroll, yanking it out and holding it aloft. "Ha! Only one more to go."

"Ow, I, see you're taking this seriously." Sam sat up, despite his supposed pain he still smirked. He rose and clenched his fists. "Guess I will too."

Alicia's eyes widened. "Wait, Sam, you can't!"

"Azure Flames of Fury!" Sam engulfed both his hands in blue fire, clenching them both into fists. He drew them back. "Firefist Pyro Punch!" He unleashed a blazing dragon from his burning wrists in a punching motion.

Morrigan hurriedly drew her sword and summoned fire to its blade. She swung it in front of her, countering Sam's blast by unleashing one her own. She retaliated by raising her hand and firing an orb at him in response. "War God's Proton Cannon!"

Alicia slid in the way and stretched out her right arm, white feathers materializing around it. "Feather Wall!" She formed a white wall in front of them, halting the spell. She scowled. "Would you two stop!?"

Zion laughed. "Good luck convincing them to do that."

"You could help," Alicia mumbled.

Sam glanced at her quizzically. "What's the problem?"

Alicia lowered her arms and frowned at him. "Take a good look around before deciding if you need to ask me that."

Sam and Morrigan both scanned their surroundings, realizing they'd drawn a small crowd and more than a few disapproving security guards.

Marcus and Diana finally arrived on site, stopping to catch their breath.

"Excuse me," one the guards said. "Would you mind taking your disagreement, outside?"

.

At Draycott Town Hall…

.

In the end, after a heated debate that lasted most the hour, the teams were also forced out of the Market Square, promising to meet again in the next round of the tournament. Team Wrathblade kept the scroll, which they brought to be turned in.

"Ah, back again," the attendant said as they drew near. "I see you have another scroll for me."

"We do." Morrigan set it down in front of him. "Found at the library."

"Very good." The attendant marked another point for Team Wrathblade. He proceeded to grab the case and remove the scroll. "I take it you'd like to get another update on your list?"

Morrigan hesitated this time, glancing at her teammates for any sign of approval. "What do you think?"

Marcus shrugged. "Hey, if we get stuck, we can always summon Athena again."

Diana bit her lip but didn't raise an objection.

"True," Morrigan consented. She looked back at the attendant and gave him a small almost unnoticeable nod.

"As you wish." The attendant sat up straight and cleared his throat. "Your next question is, how do you know that your experience of consciousness is the same as other people's experience of consciousness?"

The team stared blankly at the statement. Morrigan frowned. "Call Athena."

Diana reluctantly reached down and grabbed her key. "If we must." She held it out horizontally and breathed in. "Open! Gate of The sophisticated goddess of Wisdom and Arts! Athena!" This time she finished the whole spell as Athena appeared next to her.

Athena crossed her arms and stared with an irritated look on her face. Saying nothing to any of them.

Morrigan cringed. "Uh, sorry to bother you, again."

"Just not sorry enough not to do it," Marcus mumbled under his breath.

Athena glared at them both.

Diana swallowed hard. "We, have another question." She grabbed the scroll and held it out to her. "Do you mind?"

Athena stared at her hand for a moment before snatching the scroll and angrily jotting something down with her eyes narrowed. Nobody dared say anything as she did. She finished and rolled up the scroll, setting it down on the booth and stepping back, giving the group a final glare before vanishing with a bright glow.

"… Well." Marcus coughed. "That was awkward."

"And creepy," Diana added.

Morrigan scratched the back of her head. "I haven't seen her that angry in a while."

The attendant laughed to defuse the tension as he stored the scroll away in the bottom of the booth. "I, have your updated list for you." He handed it over to them. "Best of luck with the rest of the round."

Morrigan glanced over the paper, seeing most of the 'riddles' now crossed out. "Only a few of them are left." She stopped near the middle of the page. "The hall of practitioners on the grave of the seraph."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "What a fancy way of saying, the Angel Wing Guildhall."

.

At the Angel Wing Guildhall…

.

Marius smiled as he saw the team approached. "Evening, I hear you've entered the town's newest festival." He nodded at Diana. "Good to see you back too, I haven't seen you around since the trial."

"Oh, yeah," Diana mumbled, averting her gaze. "Been busy."

Marcus raised an eyebrow at her. She hadn't been visiting the Guildhall? He frowned, strange, she didn't mention going on any jobs. Not that the two of them spoke that often.

Morrigan crossed her arms. "Don't play games, you know why we're here."

Marius put on an exaggerated look of ignorance. "Whatever could you mean?"

Morrigan set her hands on the bar and leaned closer. "The scroll! Where did you hide it? I know you stashed it around here somewhere!"

Marius scratched the back of his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Oh really?" Ayame chimed in. She set a hand on her hip. "Because yesterday, you told me about the mayor approaching you for help with the festival."

Marius laughed nervously as all three members of Team Wrathblade stared at him expectantly. "You seem to be missing the point of not telling people where the scrolls are."

Ayame rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of people tearing apart the Guildhall looking for that stupid thing. Just tell them where it is so they can leave us alone."

Marius crossed his arms and smirked. "Yeah, well, too bad for you. I forgot where I put that thing hours ago."

Morrigan stared in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Marcus shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"It could anywhere from here to the dormitories," Marius said with a smirk. "Happy hunting."

Morrigan ran a hand through her hair. "Wonderful."

"Hey, master! Look at this cool scroll I just found!" Koan announced as he pranced inside, holding the scroll in one hand, and the case in the other.

Marius sighed. "Apparently, I need to work on my hiding skills."

Diana closed her eyes, seeming to think about something.

Morrigan's eyes widened. "Koan?" She set a hand on Clarent's hilt. "Don't tell me you're participating in the festival too!"

Koan shook his head and grinned. "Nah, I just like scrolls."

Marcus groaned. He held out his hand. "Mind if we have it?"

"Not at all." Koan handed both over to them. He waved. "See ya!" With that, he spun around and walked back off.

Morrigan lowered her arm and huffed. "At least it was easy." She nodded at her teammates. "Now, we have all three scrolls. Let's bring them back before the round ends."

"Best of luck to you," Marius said as the team turned to depart. His gaze shifted to Diana. "By the way, how are you adjusting to your new rank?"

Diana paused on her way out, letting out a breath. "Getting used to it."

Marius nodded. "I understand." He closed his eyes. "It can be quite overwhelming."

Marcus frowned at the two, feeling like he was missing something. But he couldn't quite think of what that'd be.

Diana walked past him on her way to the door, stopping at the exit and glancing back at him. "Are you coming or what?"

Marcus turned away from Marius after a moment and followed his teammates out of the Guildhall.

.

At the Draycott Town Hall…

.

The attendant raised an eyebrow as he examined the container. "That was fast." He screwed the lid off the case and removed the scroll. "That puts you at the minimum requirement to qualify for the next round."

Marcus exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness."

"However," the attendant hesitated.

Marcus' shoulders slumped. "Spoke too soon, didn't I?"

"Partially," the attendant answered. He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "You see, while you've collected the bare minimum, we can only accept the top twelve teams. Currently, you're tied for last with another team."

"Huh!?" all three exclaimed.

Morrigan clenched a fist. "How's that possible?" She cursed under her breath. "I knew we shouldn't have wasted so much time at the library!"

"Can't we just get another scroll?" Diana asked.

The attendant shook his head. "I'm afraid they've all been found. There's none left for you to find."

Marcus shrugged and turned away. "Oh well, what can do."

Morrigan grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back. "We're not giving up." She pointed at the worker with her other hand. "What can we do to boost our ranking?"

"Hm, well, we did give the other twelfth spot a chance to answer a question to confirm their ranking. But they refused, probably thinking the last scroll would be turned in by someone else," the attendant said. He set a hand on his chin. "We'd be willing to extend you the same chance."

"So, if we answer another question, we win?" Marcus asked.

"Precisely."

Morrigan sighed, no doubt recalling their previous lack of success. She folded her arms and closed her eyes. "Very well, what's the question."

The attendant nodded. He cleared his throat and spoke. "To what extent do you shape your own destiny, and how much is down to fate?"

After a minute of silence, Diana sighed. "Let's cut to the chase." She reached down for her key ring and grabbed Athena's once again. "Open! Gate of The sophisticated goddess of Wisdom and Arts! Athena!"

The goddess appeared at her side with the same scowl as before. Only this time, she took a seat on the street and crossed her arms.

Diana winced. "You're, not going to give us the answer, are you?"

Athena smirked. "Nope."

Morrigan let out a groan. "Mother."

"I've helped you twice today, you're on your own for this one," Athena said in a smug tone. She closed her eyes. "Better get going, before your deadline comes."

"Fine." Diana raised her arm to send her away. "If you aren't going to help, you can head back." She waved her arm in front of her, but Athena didn't go anywhere. "What? Why aren't you leaving?"

Athena giggled. "I didn't consent to having my gate closed."

Diana grumbled to herself as she slipped the key back into her ring, glancing at Morrigan and frowning. "I see where you get your sadistic side."

Marcus threw his hands. "Forget it! Let's just guess." He pushed past the women and picked up the scroll.

"Don't do that!" Morrigan objected, shoving his arm down. "If you get it wrong we'll be disqualified!"

"Which means we did all this for nothing," Diana chimed in.

Marcus glanced at each of his teammates and shrugged. "What else can we do? Not we're going to figure out the answer before the deadline." He picked up the pen and wrote something down on the page.

Morrigan facepalmed. "Great, no way we'll win now."

Athena broke into a fit of giggles.

Diana glared at her. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Quite a bit, yes," Athena answered.

Marcus handed the scroll over to the attendant. "Here you are."

"Good, very good." The attendant smiled as he rolled up the scroll and stored it away in the booth cabinet. He rose his feet and clasped his hands together in front of him. "Congratulations Team Wrathblade! You've qualified for the next round of the competition!"

Morrigan's jaw dropped in shock.

Diana's eyes widened. "You're joking."

Athena finally started laughing. "Oh, it's about time." She stood up and folded her hands behind her. "Finally, someone gets it!"

"I do?" Marcus asked, equally surprised by the turn of events.

Morrigan shut her mouth and stared at him with a mixture of envy and respect. "What the heck did you write?"

Marcus shrugged. "Nothing really, I just guessed. Was that the right answer?"

Athena waved her hand and smiled. "No, you silly boy, any answer would've done."

The team fell silent again. "What?" Morrigan finally asked.

"This is philosophy dear, there are no objective answers, only subjective ones," Athena explained casually. Another giggle escaping her. "I'd hoped one of my students would've known that by now."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "I told you, I'm not your-"

Athena vanished before she could finish.

Diana stopped short and groaned. "She's never going to stop calling me that, is she?"

"Probably not," Morrigan answered.

Marcus cleared his throat, turning back to the booth. "So, we qualified for the second round of the Gauntlet?"

The attendant nodded, now used to the team's antics. "Yes, the next round will begin tomorrow at the ten-o-clock." He started to pack up his booth. "We'll be meeting at the Draycott Park, which, hopefully, won't have suffered much damage from the ice and fallen tree."

Marcus laughed nervously. "I'm sure it'll be fine." He retreated a few steps.

Morrigan turned to face the Temple of Athena, staring up at the looming structure with obvious anticipation. "Well, we may have had a few bumps on the road. But we've made it to the next round. From here on we'll double our efforts, and sweep through this tournament!"

"Hooray," Diana said dryly. "I'm heading back to my dorm now."

"Me too," Marcus agreed.

Morrigan turned around but by the time she did both had walked off in the direction of the Guildhall. She scoffed. _"Next time, I may have to find more enthusiastic teammates."_ She shook it off and left for the Guildhall herself, after all, she still had training to do before the next round.


End file.
